After a rather quiet couple of months, the Roy Oswalt rumors have resurfaced.

Following a Tweet from Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday that reported that the Atlanta Braves were pursing the free agent right-hander.

Regarding all the Roy Oswalt #Braves questions -- team has not ruled it out, from what I hear. I assume it would depend on price.

May 18, 2012 4:35 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@ajcbraves

David O'Brien

It was leaked on Saturday that Oswalt had also recently auditioned for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies.

Not to mention, Owalt's saying that he has plans to throw for two more teams and is reportedly looking to sign relatively soon, so he can be back on the mound by as early as next month.

So does this mean the Rangers are out?

Yesterday, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that Oswalt had expressed a desire to start in Texas, but the Rangers don't have a spot for him with both Scott Feldman and Alexi Ogando serving as extra starters in the bullpen.

But Rosenthal also alluded that Oswalt could be a replacement for Rangers #1 ace--Colby Lewis.

#Rangers could create room for Roy O by moving Lewis. No indication they are considering it. No guarantee Oswalt would be better than Lewis.

May 19, 2012 10:55 am via Twitter for MacReplyRetweetFavorite

@Ken_Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal

Nevertheless, the  Los Angeles Angels also showed interest in Oswalt back in March.

The Halos are in need of another quality starter as they wait to see if  Jerome Williams turns out. So is there is a chance that he ends up throwing for them?

The best thing for Oswalt to do is to pitch for a few more teams with some interest in him, show that he still has the arm, and then wait until one of those teams has a need.

And a large wad of cash.

It hasn't made front page news just yet, but leaks began to surface on Tuesday that veteran third baseman Casey Blake is seriously considering retiring from Major League Baseball.

Blake announced to the Des Moines Register that his is hanging up his cleats, even though the Texas Rangers may be interested in signing the 38-year old who was released by the Colorado Rockies back in March.

Casey Blake tells @DMRSports he's retiring from #MLB. Played parts of 13 seasons. http://t.co/iSMaJQSY

May 8, 2012 2:28 pm via HootSuiteReplyRetweetFavorite

@DMRegister

Des Moines Register

This does not come as a surprise to most, as Blake missed 88 games in 2011 with the Dodgers hitting  .252/.342/.371 with 4 HR's and 26 RBI's and has been on the decline since.

Blake, who played 13 years in the Major Leagues and is currently a free agent, has played for the Blue Jays, Twins, Orioles, Indians and Dodgers.

And although Blake  didn’t play an everyday role the majors until he was 29, he matured quickly, and was  a .264 career hitter with 167 home runs, which was good for an OPS+ of 107.

During his peak years, 2003 through 2009, he posted a very good 267/.339/.453 batting line. He did struggle in October, but so have a lot of players, including Willie Mays.

Just when we thought the Roy Oswalt rumors had subsided, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com  stirred up the volume on the gossip machine on Sunday after reporting that several teams are back in the race for the ace.

Full Count video: Oswalt, #WhiteSox's Pierzynski, #Rays' catching, #Indians' Damon. http://t.co/vyvsZMjB

April 21, 2012 3:04 pm via Mobile WebReplyRetweetFavorite

@Ken_Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal

Among those still showing considerable interest in the free agent right-hander--Boston and St. Louis.

That makes a lot of sense as the Red Sox pitching staff currently holds the worst ERA (6.68) in the majors, subsequently suffering  a terrible start to the 2012 season.

The Cardinals meanwhile, could need Oswalt  if they prefer to move Lance Lynn back to the bullpen after shifting him into the starting  rotation following  Chris Carter's injury.

However,  Lynn has not disappointed, starting the year off with three wins and an ERA and WHIP of 1.42 and 0.737.

It's  still unknown when Oswalt plans on returning to the bigs,  and he could require as much as 1-2 months  to get ready to pitch again at the major league level.

However, it has been reported the 34-year old has been throwing bullpen sessions every other day in order to keep his arm in shape, and could be ready to contribute to some needy team sometime in June.

The slender six-foot Oswalt is currently considered to be among the elite pitchers in the National League, compiling an amazing 137–70 record with a 3.23 ERA in 1,803.1 innings pitched.

It appears that the Roy Oswalt lottery has ended...at least for the time being.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported on Thursday that Oswalt, who was being pursued by a host of major league teams including the Cardinals, Rangers and Red Sox,  made an announcement that he is going to sit out the beginning of the  2012 season.

It would appear that the money situations were not right for Oswalt to sign right now.

Roy Oswalt has told clubs he's willing to pull a Roger Clemens and return midseason. http://t.co/3WjEN5eA

February 23, 2012 1:08 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@jcrasnick

Jerry Crasnick

The 34-year old free agent pitcher  earned $16mm last season and made $1,777,777.78 for every win or $172,043,01 for every strikeout.

He is 159-93 with three All-Star appearances in 11 seasons with Houston and the Philadelphia Phillies, and in 2011 went 9-10 while posting a 3.69 era in 139 innings in Philly. He did average a career low with 6.0 strike outs per 9 innings and is coming off a series of injuries.

Could be a Roger Clemens, redux?

The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly made slugger Manny Ramirez yet another contract offer, an offer the enigmatic start apparently could refuse.

The offer was said to be a one year deal worth $25 million with a player option for a second year at $20. Talks between Manny and the Dodgers had been heating up in recent days and GM Ned Colletti's absence from the club's spring training facility fueled speculation that a deal was close.

However, ESPN.com is reporting that Manny has once again turned down the Dodgers offer and that negotiations are starting "from scratch."

The Dodgers remain Manny's only real suitor and it would come as quite a surprise if he signed anywhere else. However, with Spring Training in full swing, Ramirez agent Scott Boras appears to be playing a high risk game of chicken with the Dodgers, daring the team to start the season without the powerful slugger in their lineup.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are now "actively involved in negotiations" with free agent second baseman, Orlando Hudson, according to the LA Daily News.

The former Gold Glove winner has had limited suitors this offseason despite his career year last season, due in large part to his status as a type A free agent who was offered arbitration. For a team other than the Arizona Diamondbacks to sign Hudson, they'd have to give up their first round pick as compensation and so far no team has been unwilling to pay that price.

There has been some speculation that MLB might tweak the rules governing the trade of free agents, thus allowing sign-and-trade deals, however, it has not been mentioned as a possibility with Hudson.

The Dodgers would also need to find room on their 40 man roster should they decide to sign Hudson. The only spot left was widely believed to be reserved for Manny Ramirez.

The slow market for type A free agents such as Orlando Hudson, Orlando Cabrera, and Juan Cruz might lead Major League Baseball to alter the rules surrounding the trade of free agents, effectively opening the door for sign-and-trade agreements.

Currently, free agents are not allowed to be traded until June 15th, however FoxSports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the players union would be open to allowing players, specifically Cruz, to waive that right. Since signing a type A free agent requires a team to give up their first round draft pick as compensation, the market for Cruz and others has been incredibly slow. The Twins, Dodgers, and Brewers have all been rumored to be interested in Cruz, but have made it clear they don't want to give up a first round pick in order to sign him.

Assuming the players union and MLB actually do change the rules, Cruz's agent would then negotiate with any interested teams. Once the terms of a deal were agreed upon, the Diamondbacks would negotiate with the interested team to determine what compensation (presumably a player worth slightly less than a first round pick) the D'backs would receive. Cruz would then re-sign with Arizona (thus negating any type A triggered loss of draft picks) and be imediately traded to a new team.

MLB.com is reporting that a sign-and-trade deal is being discussed in regards to Cruz, however, there's no word on whether other type A free agents will seek a similar agreement.

"I definitely would be very surprised if he's not a Dodger"

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre made headlines yesterday proclaiming he'd be surprised if Manny Ramirez did not resign with the Dodgers. While he quickly assured reporters that he had no inside knowledge of negotiations, it reignited Manny fever in the LA sports world.

For his part, GM Ned Colletti stated that "there's been some progress made [in talks with Ramirez] but obviously not enough to consummate a deal." While their previous offers to Manny and his agent Scott Boras have been regected it certainly appears that there's no hard feelings from the Dodgers.

And in reality, Boras is lucky that he hasn't alienated the one team in the league that can afford to give Manny a deal big enough for the "super agent" to save face. The market for light-fielding heavy hitters, even future Hall of Fame hitters, was surprisingly low this offseason and I would be shocked if Manny winds up with a deal better than the two year, $45 million deal from the Dodgers turned down at the beginning of winter. While the San Francisco Giants have been rumored to be interested, they've shown no indication of being able to afford to match even the one year, $25 million deal from the Dodgers that Manny turned down more recently.

That being said, the Dodgers are undoubtedly a better team with Ramirez anchoring their lineup and like Joe Torre, I'd be surprised if Man-Ram isn't back in Dodger blue by opening day.

The Atlanta Braves are believed to be making a late run at signing free agent Ken Griffey Jr. according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Atlanta has been looking for an outfield bat during the offseason, and Griffey could be a great fit, at least against right handed pitching.

Junior was reportedly close to a deal to return to Seattle where he spent the first 11 years of his career. However, Atlanta is rumored to be Griffey's first choice due to it's proximity to his home in Orlando and his friendship with Bobby Cox.

Should Atlanta sign the future Hall of Famer, he would probably be used in a platoon situation, maximizing his at bats against righties as well as giving the 39 year old veteran plenty of rest. While "the Kid" still has the sweetest swing in baseball, his body has broken down over the years and he's lost significant time to injuries over the past several seasons.

The Los Angeles Angels seem to be close to landing free agent slugger Bobby Abreu to a one year deal.

Abreu initially sought a three year deal in the neighborhood of $48 million, however as the economic reality of this offseason set in, it became clear that the outfielder would have to settle for something drastically less.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports that Abreu may be willing to accept a one year deal in the neighborhood of $8 million and Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Angles asked for waivers on Nick Green, possibly in preparation of an Abreu deal.

The Angels lineup has been depleted this offseason by the free agent defections of Mark Teixeira and Garret Anderson and Abreu's 20 home runs and 100 RBI's last year with the New York Yankees would be a welcome addition.

The Atlanta Braves had been rumored to be interested in Abreu, but apparently could not meet the player's salary demands, even on a one year deal.