Random Stuff

** Francisco Liriano will miss all next year while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Dave Campbell of the AP theorizes that Liriano’s elbow popped because he throws his slider 90+ mph. That’s as good as guess as anyone's. Especially since Dusty Baker never managed the Twins…

** Time to duck and cover – the Yankees picked up Gary Sheffield’s option. The AP reports that the Yankees picked up the option with the intention of trading him. There’s not a lot of teams out there who can absorb the $13 million he’s due next year, so it’s pretty easy to guess where he might be going. Rumor has it both Chicago teams are on Sheffield’s “good” list (i.e., teams he’ll go to without engaging Operation Shutdown).

** Talk about burning your bridges. Francisco Cordero had this to say about the Rangers, his former employers:

In Texas, they made stupid changes that didn't make sense. Lee is a free agent and now he's leaving. That's why the manager (Buck Showalter) isn't there anymore.

Zing…

** What’s up with the Expos’ managerial search? No one knows nothin’, except that Joe Girardi doesn’t want the gig.

According to the AP:

That's keeping with the general secrecy they've sought for the search, in part because, Kasten said, he doesn't want other teams to know what the Nationals are up to.

"I have a belief that when you do business deals, they're best done privately," Kasten said.

Here's about all he would offer: "This past week we have moved into a different phase. ... We're getting closer, even though we don't have a timetable."

Kasten did say it "shouldn't be longer" than two more weeks.

It’s Kasten’s prerogative to say as much or as little as he wants to about the search. But when has any Major League been that secretive about anything? Could Washington be even more messed up than we thought?

** Owners approve the new CBA. High fives all around!