US PresswireThe San Diego Chargers would like to see wide receiver Vincent Jackson in their locker room again next season, but franchising the two-time Pro Bowler would cost the team almost $13.7 million to do so. If the team doesn't franchise him by March 13, Jackson will become a free agent.

NBC San Diego reports that it was pretty much decided at the team's state-of-the-franchise meeting to not put the tag on Jackson due to the price, though keeping Jackson in San Diego is at the top of the list for general manager A.J. Smith.

Part of the problem is that the Chargers need the cash for a few other spots on the team that are losing players to free agency or retirement.

The 29-year-old Jackson had 1,106 receiving yards and nine touchdowns for the Chargers last season. He has fumbled the ball once in his seven-year playing career and that was back in 2008.

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US PresswireNew Orleans Saints guard Carl Nicks is heading into free agency and it is sounding like the two-time Pro Bowler is ready for a change after being with the team since he was selected in the fifth round of the 2008 draft.

ESPN reports that Nicks told Sirius NFL Radio Tuesday that there haven't been any contract talks with New Orleans yet and that he is thinking the team will sign quarterback Drew Brees before working on him. "I haven't talked to [general manager] Mickey [Loomis] at all,'' said Nicks, according to the site.

Nicks has also heard that the team could put the franchise tag on him, which would mean a $9.4 million payday for the 26-year-old, though he said he would be upset to be tagged, ESPN reports.

"I've heard a lot of rumors of the franchise tag, which is a lot of money,'' Nicks said, according to ESPN. "If you want to pay me, which I'm not a big fan of, what the franchise tag for an offensive lineman is worth, we might as well work on a deal."

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US PresswireIt used to be that teams that signed a restricted free agent would need to fork over a first- and third-round draft pick, but the new CBA only requires that teams send over a first-round pick if such a situation should arise.

The Washington Post notes that this is looking likely to happen in a few weeks when Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace tips into the restricted-free-agent category.

The Steelers are already about $10 million over the salary cap, the Post notes, and franchising Williams would cost the team about $9 million more. The franchise tag could still come down on Wallace, forcing the team to make cuts elsewhere, the Post points out, but it is more likely he'll be a restricted free agent soon.

The 25-year-old Wallace, selected in the third round of the 2009 draft and was the team's rookie of the year that same year, went to his first Pro Bowl after racking up 1,193 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns this past season.

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US PresswireOutfielder/DH Bobby Abreu has played for four teams since entering the big leagues back in 1996: the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels. Now the 37-year-old may be looking for a new team.

Abreu told ESPN Deportes Tuesday that he would like to be traded if he isn't going to be an everyday player, according to the Los Angeles Times; "I'm an everyday player; I can still be in the lineup for a major-league team," Abreu said, the Times reports. "I will not be on the bench knowing that I can play. If the Angels don't have a position for me, then the best thing is to trade me."

The Angels, though, want Abreu to be insurance "in case Kendrys Morales doesn't return from a broken left ankle and Mark Trumbo is slow to return from a stress fracture in his right foot," the Times reports.

The Angels' DH spot will mostly be filled by Morales and Trumbo while the outfield is filled up with Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells and Peter Bourjos.

Abreu batted .253 with

US PresswireSpring training has started and St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina still doesn't have a long-term contract extension signed. Last year, the man Molina considers a big brother, Albert Pujols, had already put an end to any further negotiations till the season was over.

Molina's agent, Melvin Roman, let it be known Tuesday that he and his client aren't planning to negotiate any new deal after baseball's opening day and will then wait till the season ends before re-opening talks with the team, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Once the season gets underway, Molina's "just going to concentrate on the game, play hard to win every game and try to bring another championship to the city." Roman said, according to the paper. "After the season, I'm sure we would probably still discuss things."

Molina batted .305 with 14 homers last season.

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US PresswireThe American League champion Texas Rangers tried to ditch reliever Koji Uehara via trade all offseason but couldn't seem to work out a deal for the fella who, after having a good season with the Baltimore Orioles and Texas, completely imploded in the postseason, compiling a 33.75 ERA in 1.1 innings worth of work.

It appears that the team will be heading into the season with Uehara still on the roster (and that isn't such a bad thing). "There are always some deals in the spring, moves here or there," GM Jon Daniels said Tuesday, according to MLB.com. "But we're ready to go with this group of guys. I have no moves planned or anything like that."

Uehara, who struck out 65 in 85 innings last year, has another year left on his deal and will be paid $4 million for the season.

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US PresswireThe Los Angeles Lakers are in second place in the Pacific Division, just behind the Los Angeles Clippers, and in fifth in the Western Conference so the team is said to be looking to improve by the March 15 trading deadline.

ESPN has it that GM Mitch Kupchak has talked to the Minnesota Timberwolves about Michael Beasley. "The Lakers were actually in discussions with Minnesota about a potential trade for Beasley before the season started," the site notes. "If they would have been able to pull off the deal for Chris Paul, there is a good chance that a trade for Beasley would have followed."

Who the Lakers would give up in such a deal remains unclear, the site notes, but Pau Gasol's name hasn't come up.
ESPN also reports that the team could still sign free-agent point guard Gilbert Arenas if it can't land someone like the Cleveland Cavaliers' Ramon Sessions in a trade.

Beasley is averaging 12.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

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US PresswirePhiladelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, the third ace in the team's stacked rotation, will be a free agent at season's end and it doesn't sound as if he's planning to run out of town too quickly.

"I was fortunate enough to be drafted into an organization that is trying to win and obviously has won," Hamels said Monday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "Every day, every year, we seem to get some top players. So that kind of shows the value and the direction the team wants to go. I've just been very fortunate to be a part of it. It's a great organization to play for and I'd love to be part of it."

The 28-year-old Hamels, who was the MVP of the 2008 National League Championship Series and World Series in his third  season with the team, has gone 74-54 with the team. Last season, he was 14-9 with a 2.79 ERA.

"Ever since I've been here, they've been able to do a really good job of keeping the guys that they draft - especially the guys that they like," Hamels said, according to the