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Ben Sheets may need surgery

According to MLB.com, the Rangers nixed a two-year contract offer to free agent Ben Sheets because the pitcher might need to have surgery before the start of the season.

Ben SheetsThe answer is that free agent right-hander Ben Sheets may need surgery to repair the torn flexor tendon in his elbow, and his former employers may be asked to pick up the tab. Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said on Thursday that the team has been in discussions this week with Sheets’ agent and officials from Major League Baseball about who would pay for the procedure.

The Texas Rangers and Sheets reached an agreement on a two-year contract late last week and only a physical stood in the way of the deal being completed. But everything changed once it was determined that Sheets had a torn flexor tendon that might require surgery.

The Rangers could still pursue Sheets with a deal that would allow him to do his rehabilitation work with them in hopes that he would eventually pitch at a high level again. But that doesn’t appear to be the case.

No wonder he lasted on the market so long. The Brewers offered Sheets arbitration, but he declined and therefore might have left at least $10 million on the table this season. Sheets could be one of the best pitchers in the NL, but he can never stay healthy.

Houshmandzadeh interested in joining the Eagles

Free agent wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh wouldn’t mind sporting green and white next year according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh“If the Eagles are interested in me, let’s put it like this. If they’ll be interested in me, I’ll be interested in them,” he said when asked if the Eagles would be his top choice.

There’s a chance that Houshmandzadeh could get the franchise tag from the Bengals, which would pay him $9.88 million for one season. However, NFL Network’s Adam Schefter cited a league source at the end of December who said the Bengals would not franchise the wide receiver. Per Schefter, if the Bengals want him back, they’ll attempt to sign Houshmandzadeh to a long-term deal.

“Did you watch the Eagles and the Bengals game during the season? I was just giving Andy Reid, I was giving him an interview in person,” Houshmandzadeh said. “That’s all I was doing. I was giving him a three-month interview ahead of time. That’s all.”

McNabb to Housh? That would be a pretty solid connection if the Eagles do in fact retain McNabb and make a push to sign Housh.

I think Houshmandzadeh is one of the most underrated receivers in the game. That said, it’s not unlike him to start complaining when things don’t go his way. How many times have we seen him get in the face of head coach Marvin Lewis on the sidelines during games? One could say that’s just Housh’s will to win shining through, but a head coach like Andy Reid isn’t going to put up with that. It’ll be interesting to see how this story develops. Maybe a change of scenery is exactly what Housh needs.

Report: Terry Glenn arrested

If Terry Glenn wanted to latch on to an NFL team this season, this was certainly the wrong way to get their attention:

Terry GlennAccording to Irving police, Glenn, the Dallas Cowboys’ leading receiver in 2005 and an integral part of their 2006 playoff team, was arrested at a hotel last week on charges of public intoxication and possession of marijuana. He also had four outstanding traffic warrants issued in Roanoke.

Glenn’s NFL career may not be over, but this is certainly a step in the wrong direction. Apparently if you’re young and golden and marketable it’s okay to get caught smoking pot. But if you’re a 34-year-old receiver who’s undergone two knee surgeries and played only one game the last two seasons …

Far as I can tell this is Glenn’s third arrest. He was booked for public intoxication in 2005 when officers caught him urinating behind a fast-food restaurant dumpster, and for assaulting the mother of his then-5-year-old son in 2001.

I’ve never played in the NFL so I obviously don’t know the temptations that surround players on a daily and nightly basis. But I would have to believe that if I were a 34-year old player hoping to catch on with a team for one or two more years, I would do my best to not get freaking arrested for taking a whiz on public property and smoking dope. I mean really, how hard is it to use a toilet?

Forget a comeback – no team is going to take a chance on him now. (As I wrote that last sentence, the Bengals just telephoned Glenn.)

Cardinals to cut Edgerrin James?

Fresh off their Super Bowl XLIII appearance, the Cardinals are apparently set to release running back Edgerrin James this offseason.

From Rotoworld.com:

Edgerrin JamesAccording to the Arizona Republic’s Dan Bickley, Edgerrin James is “already gone” from the Cardinals.

Edge reportedly did not return to Phoenix with the Cardinals after the Super Bowl. James’ release, which cannot become official yet, will save Arizona $5 million under the cap, increasing the team’s spending limit to roughly $47M. It also creates a need area at tailback. J.J. Arrington is a free agent and the Cardinals will have to find a complement for Timmy Hightower.

This makes sense. Edge already stated throughout the regular season that he wanted out of Arizona, so why should the Cardinals keep him? They’ll save $5 million in cap space, and cut ties with a player that doesn’t want to be there. Plus, the draft is loaded with solid running back prospects this year so they don’t even have to use a first round pick on the position if they wanted to address other needs.

It’s not worth speculating at this point what teams will be interested in Edge, but considering he’s already hit the dreaded age of 30 he probably won’t receive more than a two-year offer.

Pay attention! Lakers/Celtics tonight on TNT

The Christmas Day meeting between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers didn’t quite live up to the hype. The Lakers held control for much of the game and eventually won, 92-83. Kevin Garnett (22 points) and Paul Pierce (20 points) played well, but the rest of the Celtics combined to shoot just 18 of 50 (36%) from the field. Meanwhile, the Lakers shot 40% from long range, anchored by uncharacteristic accuracy from Luke Walton and Lamar Odom, who were both 2-3 from long range.

But tonight’s game will be in Boston and the Lakers are coming off a tough game last night in Toronto, which is why the Celtics are favored by seven points. Since losing four straight games in early January, the C’s are riding a 12-game winning streak. The Lakers have won eight of their last nine games, but will be without Andrew Bynum, who is going to miss 8-12 weeks with a torn MCL.

L.A. will be looking for revenge. The last time the Lakers visited Boston was for Game 6 of the 2008 Finals, when they were summarily trounced by the Celtics, 131-92.

The game is on TNT tonight at 8 PM ET.

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