Jose Bautista expessed his wishes to play winter ball in the Dominican with Licey provided Licey qualifies for post season play.

The Licey team initiates practice on the Monday the 26th of this month. The Dominican winter baseball season commences on October 14th.

Close to half the winter ball teams have signed their "imported" ball players. Each team can have five imported players on their active roster. Imported players are players that are not native to that country. No Cleveland players have signed contracts to this point that I've been able to tell.

Rumors are circulating about the Dominican, particularly in Santiago, that Manny Ramirez is in town and may sign on with the Aguilas Cibaenas.

Miguel Tejada is not planning on retiring any time soon.

"In the winter I will work to return next season, not the first time a player has a bad year and return. I will play winter ball with the Aguilas Cibaenas as part of the process to remain active, "said Tejada. "Right now what I'm doing is spending time with my family, I am at home waiting to see what happens."

The promising Luis Jiménez (3B), Denis Phips (outfielder) and Juan Diaz (shortstop) will start the next season of professional baseball in the Dominican as a regular with the Estrellas Orientales, said the manager of baseball operations of the club, Eddy Toledo.

Diaz (.255-9-60) had 133 games in Double A as a shortstop with the Akron Aeros of the Eastern League, a branch of the Cleveland Indians. Toledo said all three will be starters at their respective positions for starting the season on 14 October.

(Juan Diaz is the first Cleveland player I've been able to locate who actually plans on playing some winter ball this season.)

The president of the Professional Baseball League of Puerto Rico (LBPPR) Antonmattei Sadí Goitia, told this newspaper that after a meeting yesterday, the board of directors decided to completely eliminate the franchise in San Juan and Santurce, and continue only with Carolina, Ponce, Caguas and Mayaguez.

"Since this tournament on, the league will be four franchises," confirmed bachelor, who emphasized that the board's decision is final and binding. "It's not temporary ... this is over, "he said.

"These two franchises are always strongly swinging and never landing anywhere," he continued Antomattei. "In addition, it has always been problematic the relationships of these teams (the municipality)."

I guess Juan Diaz was promoted to Columbus for the post season. Juan Diaz and Ezekiel Carrerra were traded from the Mariners to the Indians for Russell Branyan. Diaz is doing well in the playoffs.

Tiburones bring Totten


La Guaira signed Heath Totten, Scott Matieson, Shairon Martis, Terry Tifee and Paolo Espino, reported Enrique Rojas of ESPN. Totten has played with Eagles, Tigers and Braves in the Venezuelan ball.

Ubaldo pondering playing winter ball

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 09/18/11 2:45 PM ET

MINNEAPOLIS --

Ubaldo Jimenez feels that pitching during winter ball, even a handful of innings, has helped him in the past. That is one reason why the Indians are considering allowing the starter to play in his native Dominican Republic this offseason.

"We want to have the discussion with him," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said, "and weigh the relative benefits and risks around it. If it's something that he feels is important for him heading into next season, and feels he'll benefit from it, we're certainly open minded to that."

On Sunday, Jimenez said that he is currently planning on suiting up for Tigres del Licey at some point during the coming winter. If Licey makes it to the postseason, Jimenez said that is when he would probably pitch for the ballclub.

Jimenez, who did not participate in the Dominican Winter League last offseason, believes working in games for Licey helps prepare him better for the early stages of Spring Training.

"Especially two years ago," Jimenez said. "It gets me ready to go to Spring Training. This year, I got to Spring Training and then I had to get ready. The years before, after I [played] winter ball, when I [got] there already ready."

Jimenez, 27, has gone 10-11 with a 4.49 ERA in 30 starts between the Rockies and Indians this season. Cleveland acquired the right-hander for a package of four players, including top pitching prospects Alex White and Drew Pomeranz, prior to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline.

Last season, Jimenez went 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA in a breakout campaign for Colorado.

"Before he came over here, he expressed some interest in doing it," Indians manager Manny Acta said of the possibility of having Jimenez pitch over the winter. "He did it [two years ago], and he felt it helped him out. We're going to look over all those possibilities.

"If it does help him come into Spring Training to work on whatever, we're fine with it."

Helping matters is the fact that Jimenez projects to finish this season with fewer than 200 innings, after logging at least 218 in each of the past two seasons.

"That plays into it some," Antonetti said. "But, I think, ultimately what we want to try to do -- our whole focus -- is to try to help players to be in a position to be successful the following season. Some guys feel that winter ball is an important part of that."

Clubhouse confidential:
Rookie outfielder Ezequiel Carrera is expected to play winter ball in Magallanes in Venezuela.

Carrera, if the Indians' starting outfielders had stayed healthy this season, probably wouldn't have made it to Cleveland until September. As it is, Carrera has appeared in 54 games and shown flashes on defense, running the bases and at the plate. It's also clear Carrera's game needs a lot of polish.

"I think he has no other choice but to play winter ball," said Tribe manager Manny Acta. "He's a guy who needs to play. He's not established up at the major-league level. He's got plenty of things to work on."

Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez Confirms His Intentions To Participate With The Aguilas Cibaenas

Ramirez will arrive on Sunday the 25th the first day of team practices on Monday

Manny Ramirez reported to the President and General Manager of the Aguilas, Winston Llenas and manager Felix Fermin this afternoon and told them he would arrive in the country on Sunday 25 to be there on the first day of practice on Monday in order to see action in the 2011-2012 season of Dominican baseball.

Ramirez, speaking by telephone from Miami, told Fermin and Llenas that he will train in Santiago because he cares about the first day. He has not played since April and wants to be fit when the tournament begins.

"It's obviously a great joy for us this news. I noticed much interest when we talk of the subject. There is much excitement among us," said Winston Llenas.

For his part Felix Fermin, the leader of the Cibao said that Manny's presence will give a new dimension to the Aguilas team and the tournament itself, because the Dominican fans, most notably the Aguiluchos will have the opportunity to see one of baseball's biggest sluggers in action.

For a week it was rumored that Ramirez was interested in playing for the Aguilas this year, however the player had no direct contact with the leaders of the team until Tuesday afternoon.

Manny Ramirez has played three seasons of Dominican ball. In the 1991-92 season he played in only 9 games in which he batted 23 times with 4 hits and .174 average. He did not participate the following year but returned for the championship in 1993-94. He played in 36 games that consumed 131 at bats, and got 31 hits, including 9 doubles, was the co-leader in triples with 4, homered and finished in .237 average.

In the semifinals that season Ramirez showed his full potential and led the hitters with a .396 average, with 19 hits in 48 at bats, in 15 games. He managed 7 doubles, a triple a home run and drove in 8 runs. And in the finals hit .313 with five hits in 16 innings.

He returned to the league in 1994-95, playing in 39 games in which he had 134 at bats, scored 19, had 35 hits, 6 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, and drove in 14, his average was .261.

Then it became a mega star of the game with the Cleveland Indians first and then signed as free agent with the Boston Red Sox for 8 years with one of the most lucrative contracts in baseball for 2001. He recorded 160 million dollars.

Neftali Perez

Perez seeks to improve its performance to be a starter for Texas

With the idea of ​​becoming a starting pitcher for the Texas team in the big leagues of the United States, "Azua" Neftali Feliz is making his intentions known to his superiors that he will be seeking permission to participate with his team the Toros del Este during the Dominican winter ball season starting October 14 this year.

Feliz, obtained by the Toros in the 2007 draft in the fifth round, has not pitched in the Dominican League. After his meteoric rise to major league baseball and becoming the star reliever of the Texas Rangers team, performing so well, it prevented him from pitching in his country.

However, given that the big club wants him to be a part of the starting rotation next year, he is seeking permission to wear the jersey of the Toros for the first time.

If Neftali Feliz obtains the approval of the leaders of Texas, the fans of the Champion Toros del Este, will see on the mound, a pitcher overnight, has become major league star.

so manny is playing in the dominican-too bad he cheated or he could make a farewll tour with the tribe.

Hey Ken! Edward Salcedo might be playing also. He's 19 years old now. He had a nice offensive season with the Rome Braves, but his defense was rather ugly.

Offense:
132G, 508AB, 83R, 126H, 27DBL, 6TPL, 12HR, 68RBI, 23SB, 10CS, 41BB, 105SO, .248 AVE, .315OBP, .396SLG, .711OPS

Defense:
100G @ 3rd = 40 ERRORS
19G @ SS = 7 ERRORS

If he can shore up his defense this winter, he might turn out to be a pretty decent mlb player.