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One of the strangest post-athletic developments in recent history was Lenny Dykstra's trip from tobacco-chewing, uniform-dirtying center fielder into a modern day J.P. Morgan. His investment advice was lauded by Jim Cramer, hyped by HBO and turned Dykstra into a bizarre cottage industry.

And then, as with everything else from the halcyon financial days of the middle of the last decade, it all came crashing down. Dykstra filed for bankruptcy, lost his mansion to creditors and sold his World Series ring at auction. In the process, Dykstra became a punchline to everyone who scratched their head about his previous status.

You can't keep Nails down, though. He's back and selling investment advice to anyone looking to make a quick buck in the stock market at a new Web site called Nails Investments.
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Many players who have the talent to be considered Top 100 prospects just don't quite have the seasoning or experience to crack the list. These players certainly have the talent to make such a list in the near future, however.

So, who might we see on the Top 100 list in 2011, or even 2012? Many of those players are yet to be drafted or signed, but some are waiting right now in the low levels of the minor leagues. We'll take a look at a handful of young stars who could find themselves high up on future Top 100 lists.
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Carlos RuizThe Philadelphia Phillies have now avoided arbitration with every one of their eligible players. After taking care of Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton this past week, the Phillies have now also agreed to a three-year deal with catcher Carlos Ruiz. The contract -- which is still pending a physical before completion -- is reportedly worth $8.85 million for three years and has a club option for a fourth year.

Ruiz, who turned 31 on Friday, is coming off the best offensive season of his career. He hit .255 with nine home runs, 26 doubles and 43 RBI. His .780 OPS was good enough to get him above an OPS-plus of above 100 for the first time, too.

Ruiz -- affectionately known around Philly as "Chooch" -- is a good game manager from behind the plate and makes great contact. He's walked more times than he's struck out throughout his major league career. He's never going to light up the offensive stat-lines, but he's a solid blue-collar glue guy on a team that doesn't need much offense from behind the plate.
Shane VictorinoSeveral hours after announcing their contract extension agreement with Joe Blanton, the Phillies reportedly also agreed to an extension with All-Star outfielder Shane Victorino. The report indicates the extension is for three years and $22 million. This means the Phillies have avoided arbitration this year and next year, while also buying out Victorino's first year of possible free agency.

Victorino, 29, made his first All-Star game last season and won his second consecutive Gold Glove. He hit .292 with 10 home runs and a .803 OPS. He led the majors with 13 triples and was in the top 10 in runs (102), hits (181), doubles (39) and stolen bases (25). Victorino is a nice combination of speed and power -- be it with the bat or his glove in center.
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Joe BlantonThe Philadelphia Phillies have avoided salary arbitration with right-handed starting pitcher Joe Blanton, as the two sides have agreed to a three-year, $24 million extension, FanHouse's Ed Price has learned.

Blanton was willing to backload the contract in order to get a few more years. Thus, the deal will pay him $7 million this season, $8.5 million in 2011 and $8.5 million in 2012. Blanton was seeking $10.25 million in arbitration, while the Phillies offered just $7.5 million, so this contract is really a win for both sides.

Blanton, 29, went 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 195 1/3 innings last season for the NL-champion Phillies. He's also gone 2-0 with a 3.89 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in eight postseason appearances the past two seasons for Philadelphia.
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Joe Blanton / Wandy RodriguezThe figures are in. The haggling has begun. And you can rest assured it's going to get crazy.

Of the 128 players that filed for salary arbitration last week, 44 exchanged figures with their respective clubs Tuesday and 35 remain without a contract for 2010, raising the specter of a hearing next month (Feb. 1-21).

There's just one player that figures to capture everyone's imagination -- two-time Cy Young Award-winner Tim Lincecum, who is in line for a record award -- but plenty of cases are worth watching.

Back to Lincecum for a second.
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Brad Lidge's Goal: Opening Day

By Matt Snyder 1/20/2010 2:15 PM ET

Brad LidgeDespite having just undergone surgery to clean up his knee, Phillies closer Brad Lidge believes there's a possibility he'll be ready to take the ball on Opening Day, should the Phillies have a small lead entering the ninth inning.

"I want to be ready for the start of the season," Lidge told the Philadelphia Daily News. "That's my goal. I still think it's possible."
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I remember growing up and playing baseball with my friends in yards all over the neighborhood, and while there were plenty of differences between the front yard down the street and Wrigley Field, we made the best we could with what we had. Of course, one of the biggest problems with playing in a yard is that not all yards are maintained quite like a major league field. The grass isn't as green or neatly manicured, and there are even dips that cause for some wicked hops and kids laying on the ground holding themselves while their friends laugh at them.

If only we had the chance to play on a real baseball field!

Well, while kids across the United States still aren't going to be able to play on the surface of Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, they now have the chance to get as close to the real thing as possible thanks to a deal between MLB and The Scotts Company.
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Brad Lidge knee surgeryAfter enduring a pretty terrible 2009, Brad Lidge must have been ready to turn the calendar to 2010. Instead, he opened this new year with another surgery on his knee. This time, an arthroscopic procedure was done in his knee to remove "loose bodies and meniscal debridement."

In English, this was the type of routine procedure done to clean up scar tissue and other generally lingering issues in his knee from past procedures, injuries and natural wear and tear. Lidge should be healthy by the time the season rolls around, but it's not a sure thing.

"The surgery went well and Brad is expected to begin his throwing program in 10 days," said Phillies Head Athletic Trainer Scott Sheridan. "We're not sure if he'll be ready by Opening Day, but we don't expect that he'll be too far behind. This surgery was not directly related to any previous surgeries."
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Kyle Drabek / Tyson GilliesFollowing any blockbuster trade, questions about the lesser known names involved in the deal are inevitable. There were several talented prospects swapped between the Mariners, Phillies, Blue Jays and Athletics in the Roy Halladay-Cliff Lee megadeal, but just how do these players profile as future big-leaguers?

That's a question the pro scouting departments of these teams have been working hard to try and answer from start to finish of this deal.

The prospects on the move profile from anywhere between solid regulars to dominant players at their positions. In other words, Lee and Halladay might not be the only star-level talents involved in this trade when it's all said and done.

Below, the guys involved in this deal who don't have Cy Young Awards in their trophy case (at least not yet) are grouped based on the 2-8 scouting scale, with 8 representing a truly elite talent.
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