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Report: Eagles, Giants front runners for Boldin

Anquan BoldinIf the Cardinals indeed trade disgruntled wideout Anquan Boldin this offseason, the Eagles and Giants are apparently the front-runners for his services according to ESPN’s John Clayton.

With the compensation for Boldin being first and third round picks, the Eagles appear to have a slight edge on the G-Men. Philly has two first round picks (Nos. 21 and 28), while New York is set to select at No. 29.

Boldin would be a great fit for the Eagles, who love to throw the ball yet haven’t had a legitimate No. 1 receiver since the Terrell Owens experiment failed a couple years ago. DeSean Jackson had a breakthrough performance as a rookie last season, flashing extraordinary speed and playmaking ability. If Philly can acquire Boldin, it would only seem to enhance what Jackson brings to the field.

If the Eagles do land Boldin and can sign him to a long-term deal, it would seem logical that they would re-sign quarterback Donovan McNabb to another multi-year deal. It wouldn’t make much sense to part with multiple draft picks and commit an exorbitant amount of money to Boldin, only to turn around and hand the keys to the offense to an inexperienced Kevin Kolb. This is just speculation at this point, but one would have to assume that the Eagles would want McNabb running the offense if Boldin does come aboard.

Parcells told Dolphins he would walk after ’08 season

Bill ParcellsAccording to the Miami Herald, Bill Parcells told Dolphins’ owner Wayne Huizenga that he would leave the team following the 2008 NFL season. Huizenga, who recently sold the team, promised Parcells that he could walk at any time if he agreed to stay another year in Miami.

This should surprise absolutely no one. Parcells does whatever he wants and commitments mean next to nothing to him. It’s almost laughable that a team would allow him to just pack up and leave anytime he wanted to, but then again it speaks to how good he is.

You want to win? You want Parcells? No problem, but this is how he operates and he’s not going to change his ways now. Nobody in Miami is complaining about the arraignment after the way he took a 1-15 Dolphins team and transformed them into AFC East Champions this season. The guy is a miracle worker.

It’ll be interesting to see if he bolts at some point this season. He could very easily get the Dolphins through the free agency period and the draft and then decide to bolt, or he could stick around for the entire year and leave after the season. Either way, it would be shocking if the Dolphins get him to honor his four-year contract.

Blazers reportedly make strong pitch for Stoudemire

If this story is true, Amare Stoudemire could be heading to the Pacific Northwest before the Nov. 19 trade deadline.

The Portland Trail Blazers have made a strong play for Amare Stoudemire, discussing a package that includes LaMarcus Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless, and Raef LeFrentz’s $12.7 million expiring contract, a person with direct knowledge of the talks told CBSSports.com Tuesday.

One factor complicating matters, according to a team executive who has spoken with the Suns, is an apparent difference of opinion between Kerr and managing partner Robert Sarver as far as what Phoenix hopes to get back in a Stoudemire trade. Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Leandro Barbosa are viewed as untouchable in any trade talks with the Suns. It is not known if any of those players is the source of disagreement between Kerr and Sarver.

I’m surprised that the Blazers are willing to give up Aldridge, but if that’s the case and Steve Kerr insists on trading Stoudemire, then he should jump on this deal. Aldridge is currently #13 amongst power forwards in PER (18.98), while Stoudemire is #11 (20.14). This tells me that Aldridge is every bit the stat guy that Amare is, and he’s probably a better defender too. The Suns would get a burgeoning All-Star talent, a young prospect in Bayless and salary cap relief in the form of Raef LaFrentz’s expiring contract.

It looks like Kerr is going to take his time and try to get the best possible deal for his 1st Team All-NBA talent. The only downside to this trade is that Stoudemire would be going to a team in the Western Conference and Kerr might be playing his part in helping Portland get to powerhouse status. However, if he truly believes that Amare isn’t worth building around, then he shouldn’t be afraid to trade him within the conference, right?

Apparently, Suns’ owner Robert Sarver has been reaching out to other owners trying to make a deal happen.

While the Suns’ basketball executives are discussing one possible package with teams, Sarver has, at times, appeared to be pursuing his own agenda.

Some teams believe this is a circumstance they can exploit, and suggest that Suns GM Steve Kerr and David Griffin, the franchise’s VP of basketball operations, have been compromised.

“It makes [the owner] look too motivated,” said one Western Conference GM who was aware of Sarver’s calls. “It makes them look desperate.”

If other teams can sense the Suns’ desperation, then that makes a possible Aldridge deal all that more appealing.

Abreu finally coming off the market?

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Angels and Bobby Abreu could come to an agreement soon on a one-year contract.

Bobby AbreuThe Angels, in dire need of a power boost from the left side, have expressed serious interest in Bobby Abreu and are expected to sign the free-agent outfielder to a one-year deal by the start of spring training Saturday.

Abreu, who turns 35 on March 11, is scheduled to undergo a physical in Southern California today, according to a source who is familiar with negotiations but not authorized to discuss them publicly.
“Several teams have expressed interest, and the Angels are definitely high on Bobby’s list. It’s a good city, a winning team, and he has some friends over there.”

Abreu, primarily a right fielder and designated hitter, would fill the role of departed free agent Garret Anderson in an outfield/DH rotation that includes Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Juan Rivera, who all bat right-handed.

Although I’m surprised that not more NL teams have emerged for Abreu’s services, this would be a nice pick up for the Halos. Abreu is getting long in the tooth, but the guy can hit and he still offers a little speed on the base paths. It’s a low-risk move by the Angels to sign him to a one-year deal.

Yankees’ won’t void A-Rod’s contract

Hank Steinbrenner said that the Yankees won’t try and void Alex Rodriguez’s contract (which is the richest in baseball) despite the slugger admitting on Monday that he took steroids from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Texas Rangers.

Alex RodriguezYet, the club admits it doesn’t know what to expect from Rodriguez on the field this coming season. At $32 million a year and what Rodriguez means to the lineup, that’s frightening.

“Personally, no,” Steinbrenner said yesterday at George Steinbrenner Field, asked if he was mad at Rodriguez.

Asked about finding a way to get out from under the $275 million deal that has nine years left, Steinbrenner said, “No, no . . . it’s simply . . . that’s it basically.”
How about attempting to trade Rodriguez?

“I am not going to comment on anything like that [that] can get twisted, which happens in the media,” Steinbrenner said with a chuckle. “Basically, it’s no comment except that I support him and I am not personally angry at all.”

That could change if Rodriguez’s problems result in a miserable season on the field. According to GM Brian Cashman, it’s a jump ball as to how Rodriguez responds.

“I don’t know, you can never tell with these type of things,” Cashman said. “You don’t know how it will impact him professionally and personally. All you can do is put your arms around him and support him and help him pull through it.”

Talent still trumps all. The Yankees are interested in one thing and one thing only: winning championships. And Steinbrenner knows that the Bombers are a better team with A-Rod than without him, so why would they void his contract or trade him?

As the article notes, as long as A-Rod’s game doesn’t suffer from all of this, you’re not going to see Steinbrenner or the Yankees do anything about this situation.

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