The word is that the Angels like Granderson more simply because his contract runs through 2012 and has a $13 million option for 2013 while Jackson's only goes till the end of 2011.

The Angels are supposedly good potential trading partners with Detroit because the three areas of depth - catcher, low-paying pitching, and shortstop - are what the Tigers need.

In 2009, center fielder Granderson hit 30 homers, had 71 RBIs, FOXSports, 91 runs scored, and 157 hits.

Washburn apparently is interested in signing with the Brewers or the Minnesota Twins so he can finish out his career not far from home, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

The Brewers are also apparently looking at pitchers Doug Davis(notes), Randy Wolf(notes) and Mark Mulder(notes). Mulder apparently wants to get back together again with pitching coach Rick Peterson.

Of course Hendry also needs to get rid of an outfielder who want be easy to get rid of: Milton Bradley(notes). The rumor is that the Cubs are interested in the Texas Rangers' Marlon Byrd(notes) and that it is possible that the Detroit Tigers might put Curtis Granderson(notes) on the market, which would be another prime target for Chicago.

Hendry could likely sign Byrd without dealing Bradley but Granderson has $25.75 million owed to him over the next three years so Hendry would have to clear up some salary space and he wouldn't likely be able to do that by trading Bradley to Detroit. Tigers manager Jim Leyland flipped his lid last summer when it was so much as suggested that Bradley might be coming to the Motor City via trade.

The Cubs' 2010 payroll is expected to go up to $145 million, more than anybody else in the National League Central.

Financial hard times of the region, in particular the massive hit automakers have taken, have the Tigers considering some trades of their bigger names and Jackson seems to be the first one on the list that they'll look into ditching for younger, cheaper players.

"We're all aware that the economy is not the same all over the country," said Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski. "We've been hit hard in our area."

And now after all that the lefthander may be returning to play for Seattle, according to the Detroit Free Press. The 35-year-old free-agent lefty has apparently told the M's that Seattle is on the top of his list of teams to play for in 2010.

Washburn was a whole lot better for Seattle than he was for Detroit. He went 8-6 with a 2.64 ERA in 20 starts for the M's and was the American League pitcher of the month in July with Seattle.

Sports Illustrated has it that the two sides are planning to meet up soon enough but GM Frank Wren tells MLB.com that no such plans exist.

Other teams supposedly willing to throw a boatload of cash at the 21-year-old lefty Chapman to get him are the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners. New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals. In short, everybody wants him.

Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels(notes) apparently doesn't seem to think so. He's reportedly already saying that he can't wait for the whole thing to be over. Hamels has had a tough year being an average pitcher after a stellar 2008 that left him as the MVP of both the National League Championship Series and the World Series. And his postseason has been absolutely lousy, unless you count the birth of his first child, which happened just after his Game 2 NLDS start.

Folks in Philly are apparently unhappy with the comments of Hamels, especially since he could be the guy who starts a seventh game if the Phils make it that far, according to the Kansas City Star. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel simply sees this as a case of a young guy who hasn't dealt with real adversity before.

Oh, and take heart, Phillies fans, those Yankees and Tigers won those Series with the last two games on the road.