Mar

PRO Rumors: Brad Lidge, Andy LaRoche, Pedro Alvarez, Alfonso Soriano, Rockies catchers, 6-foot-7 pitcher, Canseco and MMA

By Allan

Here are a few links to follow during your Wednesday lunch:

Phillies closer Brad Lidge will pitch in a Spring Training game for the first time this Thursday. Lidge will start a Minor League game and throw one inning. Lidge is recovering from off-season knee and elbow surgery, and he could be ready by Opening Day. (ESPN Insider)
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that Pirates third baseman Andy LaRoche is very positive despite the possibility of losing his starting third base job sometime this year to prospect Pedro Alvarez. LaRoche played second base in the Florida Instructional League, and he could move to that position later this year. Akinori Iwamura is the incumbent second baseman and Kovacevic suggests that he could be a trade target if a long-term deal is not worked out by the trading deadline.
Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post says the Cubs will be happy to part ways with Alfonso Soriano and his $95 million owed over the next five year. The team hopes that Soriano could stay healthy and become the same player that once hit 46 home runs and stole 41 bases for the Washington Nationals.
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the Rockies will split the catching duties between Miguel Olivo and Chris Iannetta.
As 18-year old, 6-foot-7 prospect Michael Ynoa hopes to be in the Big Leagues by 2012. He’s expected to stay in Arizona for extended Spring Training and will be limited to 75 to 100 innings this year. (John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle)
Jose Canseco could get an MMA fight in the Strikeforce MMA organization. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said he’s not entirely opposed to Canseco fighting for his company. “I can tell you this: If Cesar Gracie says to me, ‘Jose’s training with me, I’m going to get him ready, and I’m going to do it in four or five months,’ and Cesar’s telling me this? That will have a lot of weight on what we decide,” Coker recently told MMAjunkie.com.