Monday afternoon is the deadline for Major League clubs to tender contacts to players who are arbitration eligible. Stitched Sabres Jerseys . Its usually a routine matter, but every year a few players are non-tendered and become free agents. The Blue Jays have four players who fall into this category, including catcher J.P. Arencibia, centrefielder Colby Rasmus, lefty reliever Brett Cecil and righthander Esmil Rogers, who started in the bullpen and moved into the rotation as injuries took their toll. All four figure to be offered contracts, even Arencibia, who is coming off a horrible year at the plate and not much better behind it. The most interesting case is Rasmus, who can become a free agent after this season. The Jays will tender him, but have to decide relatively soon if he is the long-term answer in centre and thus deserves a long-term contract. All this deadline talk takes me back 32 years to one of the most tumultuous off-seasons in Boston Red Sox history. In those days, players had to have their contracts mailed out to them by December 20. By some oversight or office error, the contracts of two of the BoSox biggest stars didnt get to them on time. The two were centrefielder Fred Lynn, the first American Leaguer to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards (1975) and Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk, who hit the iconic extra-inning homer run to send the World Series against the Reds to a seventh game. Arbitration threatened to make both players free agents. In another time, it would have been like the Yankees losing Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra. As it turned out, the Red Sox traded Lynn to the Angels for outfielder Joe Rudi and lefty Frank Tanana. Oddly enough, this trade didnt help either team as Tanana only won four games for the BoSox in 1981, while Rudi, nearing the end of a solid career, only hit .180 in his lone season in Boston. Lynn didnt fare much better, hitting only .218 for the Angels. Fisk ultimately did leave Boston as a free agent, signing a five-year $2.9 million contract with the Chicago White Sox and went on to further cement his Hall of Fame credentials. A mailing error like that could never be repeated in this day and age, but it sure made for a stormy winter in Boston in 1981. Shocking Signing Phil Hughes was once a prime prospect and later an All-Star with the Yankees. But first shoulder troubles then back issues made him a shadow of his former self the last three years in New York. In 2013, he was 4-14 with a 5.19 earned run average and an even worse 1-10 record at Yankee Stadium with a 6.32 ERA. Thats why it was so shocking on the weekend to see him get a three-year, $24 million deal from Minnesota. Josh Johnson must be scratching his head becausee only got a one-year, $8 million deal from San Diego. Past Winter Dealings With the Winter Meetings just a week away at Orlando, it was interesting to look back at the biggest trade of the 1989 meetings. San Diego dealt catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. (Robby older brother), outfielder Chris James and minor league third base prospect Carlos Baerga to Cleveland for one Joe Carter. Just after the trade was announced, Carter signed a three-year, $9.2 million contract with the Padres, making him the highest paid position player in the Majors at that time. The Indians did just fine in the deal thanks to the contributions of Alomar and Baerga. Carter, meanwhile, only lasted one season in San Diego hitting only .232 albeit driving in 115 runs. At the following Winter Meetings almost one year to the day later, Carter and Roberto Alomar were dealt to the Blue Jays for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. The Blue Jays went on to make the playoffs in 1991, and then won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 93. I still believe if Sandy Alomar hadnt been part of that first trade, Roberto may not have been dealt to the Blue Jays. Wholesale Sabres Jerseys .com) - It appears both the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls will reach the playoffs, but the two squads are coming off losing efforts. Fake Sabres Jerseys . -- Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera has a broken bone below his right eye after being struck by a bad-hop grounder, sidelining the star slugger for at least a week with opening day on deck. https://www.cheapsabres.com/ . The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made. By releasing Bailey, the Broncos would open up cap space with the 12-time Pro Bowl player scheduled to make around $10 million next season.MONTE ZONCOLAN, Italy -- Nairo Quintana virtually clinched the Giro dItalia title Saturday with a strong ride up the demanding Monte Zoncolan, while Michael Rogers benefited from a fan interruption to post his second stage victory of the race. Quintanas 3:07 lead ahead of fellow Colombian Rigoberto Uran remained unchanged entering Sundays final stage. "Its 99 per cent done," said Quintana, who shed some tears during the podium celebration. "They were tears of happiness. Ive achieved one of the big goals in my life." Francesco Manuel Bongiorno was right on Rogers wheel with three kilometres (two miles) to go when a fan pushed him hard enough on the back that he had to break to avoid hitting Rogers and took his left foot off the pedal. "Im very bitter," Bongiorno said. "On a climb like that when you lose your balance its impossible. ... Maybe this incident will be good for the future. The fans give us strength but they need to (learn)." By the time Bongiorno got going again on a stretch of road where the gradient was 15 per cent, Rogers had already opened up a significant lead. "I wasnt aware," Rogers said. "Im sorry for Bongiorno. Hes a good kid and rode hard. I tried to drop him many times. ... Unfortunately this happens often." Rogers, an Australian with Tinkoff-Saxo, clocked 4 hours, 41 minutes, 55 seconds over the 167-kilometre (104-mile) leg, which started inn Maniago. Buffalo Sabres Store. Franco Pellizotti finished second, 38 seconds behind, and Bongiorno crossed third, 49 seconds back. Quintana finished 17th in the stage, 4:45 back, with Uran right behind him. Quintana was runner-up to Chris Froome in last years Tour de France and this would be his first Grand Tour victory. "This year I dont think Ill be at the Tour but next year well probably try it," Quintana said. The Movistar rider was then asked if he would consider riding both the Giro and Tour next year. "Its possible," he said. "Weve talked about it with the team manager. Well evaluate both options." Rogers, a three-time time trial champion, was recently cleared after a doping accusation and also won the 11th stage. Last month, the UCI accepted that meat Rogers ate in China probably caused his positive test last year. Clenbuterol is widely administered to Chinese livestock to build muscle and reduce fat. Days later, Rogers tested positive at the Japan Cup. The UCI disqualified Rogers from the Japanese race but consulted the World Anti-Doping Agency before deciding he should not be sanctioned any further. "The last kilometres were a dream," Rogers said. "Ive always dreamed of winning an uphill stage like this and this is the first time Ive been able to." The race ends Sunday with a mostly flat 172-kilometre (107-mile) leg from Gemona del Friuli to Trieste. ' ' '