LEFTY CURVE

Source: Bloomberg

Major League Baseball’s playoffs will expand to 10 teams from eight starting this season, Fox Sports reported citing unidentified baseball officials. An announcement on the expanded playoffs may come today, though there are a few details to resolve, Fox Sports said. Under the new format, five teams from each league would make the postseason instead of four.

An extra tier of playoffs had been agreed on as part of baseball’s labor contract approved in December.

This season’s schedule was already set when the new collective bargaining agreement was completed and adjustments probably would be needed to incorporate the extra playoff games, Fox Sports said. It also hasn’t been determined which networks would televise the games, Fox Sports said.

The three division winners in each league would get a first-round bye, while the two non-division winners with the best records would meet in a one-game playoff to decide the wild card. That team would advance to play the division winner with the best record, unless the teams are in the same division.

Source: Sports Network

Report: Manny to join Athletics: Veteran slugger Manny Ramirez is reportedly set to join the Oakland Athletics.

Various reports, including MLB.com, have indicated that Ramirez has agreed to a minor league contract worth $500,000.

Ramirez played just five games with Tampa Bay last April and suddenly announced his retirement after a second violation of the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The penalty would have included a 100-game suspension, but he instead chose to hang up his cleats.

In December, Ramirez applied for reinstatement. The Office of the Commissioner and the Players Association then decided that Ramirez must first serve a 50- game suspension.

Ramirez, a 12-time All-Star who will turn 40 years old on May 30, previously served a 50-game ban in 2009 as a member of the Dodgers for his first drug violation.

In 19 seasons with the Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox and Rays, Ramirez has batted .312 with 555 home runs and 1,831 RBI. He won World Series titles with Boston in 2004 and 2007, capturing MVP honors in the 2004 sweep of St. Louis.

Source: Sports Network

Rangers, Napoli reach agreement on contract: The Texas Rangers and catcher Mike Napoli have reportedly agreed on a one-year contract for the 2012 season, thus avoiding arbitration.

The Dallas Morning News reported Napoli will make $9.4 million for next season. He was requesting $11.5 million, while the Rangers were offering $8.3 million. He was slated for a hearing on Wednesday.

Napoli, who could become a free agent following the 2012 season, batted .320 with 30 homers and 75 runs batted in, all career-bests in 2011. He played in 113 games.

Source: SportsInput.com

By Meg Lee

(SportsInput.com) - Unlucky few days for Blue Jay’s Slugger, Aye?: </strong>When one sees the name Jose, often times, steroids comes to mind. He isn’t Jose Canseco, but The Dominican outfielder, Jose Bautista shares some similarities. Just last year, Bautista was named the American League winner of the Hank Aaron Award for the second consecutive season. He has become the third player to ever do this back-to-back in the award’s history behind Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds. His 97 home runs in 2010 and 2011, might have been suspicious to Major League Baseball, which is why he was subjected to  various random drug testing.

Meg Lee takes her witty personality and mixes it together with her knowledge of sports and Hollywood gossip to unveil some of the “juiciest” headlines for SportsInput.com. Additionally, Meg covers the Olympic Athletes all year long. For more information about this article, or to contact Meg or SportsInput.com, please submit inquires via email to: info@sportsinput.com.

Source: Sports Network

Source: All Headline News

According to a report, Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig will be offered an extension to his current contract.

The 77-year-old Selig has one more year remaining on his current contract. He has previously said he plans to retire in 2012.

Citing a highly placed source, ESPN reported the extension Tuesday and said the extension offer will be for at least two years and be made at the upcoming owners’ meetings.

The source went on to say that the motion to extend Selig’s contract will be widely supported. Selig’s compensation, which includes the use of a private jet, is in excess of $22 million annually, according to the report.

Selig began serving as MLB’s acting commissioner in 1992, when Fay Vincent was forced out by the owners.

Source: All Headline News

The Chicago Cubs have dealt oft-troubled pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins, according to reports.

Zambrano is talented, but has had embarrassing outbursts with the team, though the pitcher reportedly gets along well with new Miami manager Ozzie Guillen.

The Cubs will pay $15 million of the $18 million owed to the Big Z in 2012. Zambrano has a $19 million vesting option for 2013, but only if he finishes in the top 4 for the Cy Young award.

Zambrano’s career record is 125-81 with a 3.60 ERA.

His last outing as a Cub was a disaster as the pitcher gave up eight earned runs in just 4.1 innings in mid-August. That came after picking up a pair of wins in consecutive solid six-inning outings.

The Cubs pick up Chris Volstad, who struggled to a 5-13 mark last season with a 4.89 ERA. His career mark is 32-39 with a 4.59 ERA.

San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics have reportedly re- signed center fielder Coco Crisp to a two-year contract.

Crisp’s new deal is worth a guaranteed $14 million and includes a team option for 2014, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday.

The paper said the A’s will not announce the deal until Wednesday or Thursday.

Crisp, 32, batted .264 with eight homers, 54 runs batted in and a .314 on-base percentage in 136 games last season, his second with Oakland.

The switch-hitter has a career .275 average in 10 major league seasons.

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Four years after trading Carlos Quentin from Arizona to the Chicago White Sox, new Padres general manager Josh Byrnes is bringing the All-Star outfielder back home to San Diego.

Byrnes made his second bold move in two weeks when he acquired Quentin from the White Sox for two prospects Saturday.

The trade is expected to bolster San Diego’s anemic offense. Quentin has four consecutive 20-homer seasons, including 36 in 2008.

“Improving our offense is a priority this offseason and the acquisition of Carlos gives us a proven middle-of-the-order bat,” Byrnes said in a statement. “We specifically targeted Carlos because of his production and his hard-nosed style of play.”

Quentin will play left field.

The White Sox received minor league pitchers Simon Castro, a right-hander, and Pedro Hernandez, a left-hander.

While GM of the Diamondbacks, Byrnes traded Quentin to the White Sox for first baseman Chris Carter in December 2007. The Diamondbacks picked Quentin in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft after he helped Stanford reach the College World Series three straight times.

A shoulder injury limited Quentin to just one game in the final month of 2011, but Byrnes said the outfielder is healthy.

The 29-year-old Quentin hit .254 with 24 home runs, a career-high 31 doubles and 77 RBIs in 118 games in 2011, when he made his second All-Star team.

In 2008, he made his first All-Star team, won the Silver Slugger award and finished in the top five of AL Most Valuable Player voting.

Quentin attended grade school in suburban Chula Vista and was a three-sport standout at San Diego’s University of San Diego High.

He was named San Diego’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2000. He was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award during his last college season, 2003.

Two weeks earlier, Byrnes dealt right-hander Mat Latos to the Cincinnati Reds for four players, including starter Edinson Volquez and Yonder Alonso, the leading contender to start at first base.

The Padres, last in the NL West in 2011 at 71-91, were dreadful offensively. They had the lowest batting average in the NL (.237); the second-highest strikeout total in the majors (1,320); the fewest homers in the majors (91); and scored only 593 runs, second

Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms with pitcher John Danks on a five-year, $65 million contract.

The club announced the deal Thursday, ensuring the left-handed starter will stay in Chicago for the long term. He has spent his entire major league career with the White Sox.

He went 8-12 with a 4.33 earned run average in 27 starts last season, with two complete games (one shutout). While his ERA was higher than any of his previous three seasons, Danks maintained a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio. He fanned 135 and walked 46 in 170 1/3 innings.

Danks has made 150 starts in five seasons for the White Sox, posting a 54-56 record and 4.03 ERA. He has struck out 714 and walked 300.