The Indians are still looking to move salary, and could unload two of their top three payroll obligations for 2011 if, as reported by MASN's Phil Wood, the Nationals are potentially interested in trading for pitcher Fausto Carmona and outfielder Grady Sizemore.

Carmona is due $6.1 million in 2011, with three years of club options beyond that. He wouldn't exactly be the top-of-the-rotation ace Mike Rizzo went into the winter targeting, but based on his 2010 numbers (13-14, 3.77 ERA, 210.1 innings, 102 ERA+), he can at least be a solid rotation piece.

Sizemore was originally a prospect for the Expos (now Nationals) before went to Cleveland along with Cliff Lee in that bizarre Bartolo Colon trade in 2002. Sizemore would be a somewhat high-risk acquisition, as he played just 33 games last season before being knocked out by knee surgery and might or might not even be ready for opening day. But it's a high-upside scenario if Sizemore is healthy -- it's not often you get a shot at a 28-year-old three-time All-Star center fielder. He's due to make $7.5 million this season with an $8.5 million club option for 2011.

Keep in mind that this is just talk, and the Nationals might end up interested in one of the two instead of both (assuming even that Cleveland would part with both), but if Washington got the pair it would be $13.6 million for a couple of potentially big pieces with options in place for another year or, alternately, the chance to cut ties. The Indians would get even closer to the bottom of the barrel in payroll, and Indians fans would again get the shaft.

-- David Andriesen

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Even on the trade front, the Royals are competing with division rivals.

The Indians are listening on Fausto Carmona and more teams may have expressed interest in Carmona than Greinke as FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.

This could be for a number of reasons. Carmona is signed through 2011, slated to earn $6.1 million. He also has three club options for $7 million, $9 million and $12 million respectively. Given how Carmona was a frontline ace in 2007 before struggling with injuries and bad luck and re-emerged as a solid No. 2 starter at just age 26 this past season, the future is bright for Carmona.

Meanwhile, Greinke struggles with social anxiety disorder which is making some teams skittish and also is due $17 million over the next two seasons before becoming a free agent. And his next contract will be a biggie.

Heck, the Yankees and Rangers seem to be better positioned to go after Carmona, whose price may be just lower enough to facilitate a deal with one of the two teams.

Cleveland listened to trade proposals at the trade deadline as well, but nothing came of it. Now, they're listening again, but in no rush to make a deal. If the right team gives the right package, however, it may be Carmona on the move instead of Greinke.

-- Evan Brunell

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The Indians have talked to free-agent right-hander Jake Westbrook about returning to Cleveland, the Plain Dealer 's Paul Hoynes writes .

However, a return to Cleveland seems unlikely, as new Indians general manager Chris Antonetti has been given the charge of cutting payroll from $61.5 million at the start of 2010 to somewhere between $40-$50 million.

The Indians are committed to $26.6 million to three players for 2011 -- Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona and have six players eligible for arbitration -- Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jensen Lewis, Chris Perez, Rafael Perez and Joe Smith.

If the Indians tender contracts to all six, well, it'll be interesting if they have enough money to fill out the rest of their roster, much less sign a free agent pitcher who is looking for a two-year deal. Westbrook has reportedly turned down a one-year offer from the Cardinals.

The Denver Post 's Troy Renck says the Rockies are interested in Westbrook, as well.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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As the sports world waits for the crowning of a champion, 22 other teams are busy preparing for spring training. What went wrong for these teams, and what does 2011 hold? MLB Facts and Rumors here at CBS Sports will be answering those questions in October. Today: the last entry in the Cleveland Indians.

Poor Cleveland. They came within one win of advancing to the World Series in 2007, but since then have been caught in a web of ineffectiveness that saw Eric Wedge booted and the roster undergoing an overhaul.

It's disappointing to see a mid-market team like this come so close and have to completely scrap their entire team and start from scratch. Yes, the Indians somehow only lost 93 games with a team that should have lost much more, but the next few seasons will be about building the team back up, not contending.

WHAT WENT WRONG

You hate to see a team kicked when down, but that's exactly what happened on August 2 when the Red Sox's Ryan Kalish barrelled into Santana. The catcher ended up having to undergo knee surgery to repair his LCL. A shame given Santana (pictured, below right) is perhaps the best young catcher in the game with a .260/.401/.467 line in 192 plate appearances. He became the first Indians player since 1997 to make his big-league debut batting third. That's how good this dude is.

Meanwhile, first baseman Matt LaPorta, acquired from Milwaukee in the CC Sabathia trade, flailed in his extended shot of playing time. LaPorta is the team's future when it comes to a power bat, but the 25-year-old just couldn't do anything in 2010. He finished with a .221/.306/.362 line and 12 home runs in 425 PA and time is fast running out for the slugger. He'll get another shot in the bigs in 2011, but it's time for him to do what he does so well in the minors: mash.

Lastly, Grady Sizemore, one of the more exciting five-tool outfielders in the game, hit rock bottom. The 27-year-old cranked 33 home runs and bashed to the tune of a .268/.374/.502 line in 745 PA in 2008, but missed the end of 2009 with left elbow surgery. His return consisted of 140 trips to the plate and an unsightly .211/.271/.289 line before having surgery on his left knee for a microfracture. Can he ever regain his top form? Probably not.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

The Indians did have something go right for them with the emergence of relief pitcher Chris Perez. Perez, acquired from the Cardinals for Mark DeRosa in 2009, grabbed 23 saves and wrested the closer's role away from Kerry Wood while posting a 1.71 ERA. That's above his head as evidenced by a 4.30 xFIP, but he should still turn into a quality closer. Unfortunately for Cleveland, Perez may price himself out of the team's range by the time the club is ready to contend again. Fortunately, however, the Indians should get a nice return if and when they deal Perez.

Speaking of Kerry Wood, the Indians did what so few other non-contending teams did with their veterans who weren't going to return: they got rid of them. Wood went to the Yankees and flourished as a setup man while the Indians came away with some money recouped. The club also dealt away Austin Kearns (also to the Yankees) and Russell Branyan (Mariners), freeing up playing time for Perez, outfielder Michael Brantley and Shelley Duncan.

Fausto Carmona also returned from a two-year absence as an effective starting pitcher to post a 3.77 ERA in 210 innings. The 26-year-old is locked up for years and incredibly cheap as well, which has made him very in demand for other teams. Cleveland can opt to either get a nice haul in return for Carmona or have him head up the rotation as the club rebuilds. Either way, the team has a top-flight starter for cheap.
 
HELP ON THE WAY

The Indians graduated plenty of players to the bigs in 2010 that should have major impacts the rest of the way, including Santana, SP Mitch Talbot (acquired from Rays), reliever, Frank Herrmann and 2B Jason Donald. But the team needs so much more.

Fortunately, the team is rather deep in prospects remaining. Those that could help in the year 2011 include Nick Hagadone, acquired from Boston in the Victor Martinez deal. Hagadone struggled as a starter but could morph into a dominant reliever. Meanwhile, Nick Weglarz represents Cleveland's new hope as a power hitter and should debut at some point in 2011 and Jason Kipnis could wrap up the second base job for years by the end of the season.

EXPECTATIONS FOR 2011

The Indians are still in a rebuilding phase. While the team has an intriguing number of bats, they are still too young and inconsistent, while the pitching remains far off. 90-plus losses is all but certain.

SUGGESTIONS FOR 2011

The Indians figure to go after a first baseman to pair with LaPorta, a starting third baseman, and perhaps even an outfielder although Weglarz could be handed the job in spring training.

Tackling in reverse order, the Indians should stay pat and go with an outfield of Trevor Crowe-Michael Brantley-Shin-Soo Choo and filter in Weglarz and Sizemore when the two are deemed ready.

While third base could be permanently occupied by Jason Donald (pictured, left) or Luis Valbuena once Kipnis debuts, the team needs another year of protection. Adam Kennedy, who resurrected his career with the Nationals, could be that person. Kennedy can play around the infield and would collect enough at-bats to be worth bringing in while not stunting the development of Donald, Valbuena or Asdrubal Cabrera.

As for first base, the Indians need someone who can platoon with Matt LaPorta, but not send LaPorta to the bench. An ability to play the outfield is a plus as well, and the answer is already on the team in Shelley Duncan. Bringing Russell Branyan back isn't a terrible idea, but the team shouldn't spend much time looking for options as a backup first baseman.

Lastly, the Indians need to bring in a veteran starting pitcher who can soak up innings and mentor the young pitchers. Picking up ex-Indian Kevin Millwod could work, as well as Justin Duchscherer or Aaron Harang.

2011 PREDICTION

It's going to be more of the same for the Indians next season, and the team needs to find a way to develop an impact pitcher rather than the back-end types the team has proven especially adept in producing.

Check out the other R.I.P. reports here.

-- Evan Brunell

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It's possible the Indians' rotation could have five new faces in it for 2011.

Granted, Fausto Carmono would have to be traded, Justin Masterson sent to the bullpen, Carlos Carrasco back to Triple-A and even then that leaves Mitch Talbot to deal with.

Regardless, the 2011 Indians rotation has the potential to be drastically different than the five pitchers who logged the most starts: Masterson, Carmona (pictured), Talbot, Jake Westbrook and David Huff.

Huff seems to be on the outs as the organization has soured on him, plus his 6.21 ERA is rather unsightly. Masterson has struggled against left-handed batters and may be better suited to the bullpen, where he will move to shortly as he approaches his innings limit. While Masterson may be better suited in the bullpen, the Indians have so far refused to make that official switch with manager Manny Acta saying Masterson "will be sent home as a starter," reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer .

Then there's Carmona, who is just 26 and locked up to a deal through 2011 plus affordable club options through 2014. That made him a hot commodity at the trade deadline, and even though Carmona can log plenty of innings for the Indians in that time frame, the fact remains the Indians are one-to-two years away from even thinking about contending. Carmona is one of the team's remaining valuable trade assets, so bet on Cleveland heavily considering moving him.

The last member with a lot of starts is Mitch Talbot, who got the year off to a promising start, posting a 3.99 ERA in 17 starts, but the second half has been full of injuries and regression to the mean. Oh, and did I mention he has a 6.03 ERA at home and 2.86 mark on the road? Not exactly the model of consistency you're looking for out of a starter.

So what will happen in 2011? The guess here is that recently recalled Carlos Carrasco will find himself with a rotation spot after a successful Triple-A stint, with Talbot and Masterson joining them. Talbot is a young, cost-controllable righty who can at the very least soak up innings, while Masterson and the organization needs to come together and find a pitch to get lefties out with.

Another rotation spot will likely go to one of Jeanmar Gomez, Aaron Laffey or Josh Tomlin. Assuming Carmona is moved, the final spot would go to to a veteran right-hander who signs a deal after finding the free agent market chilly. Could that mean the return of Kevin Millwood?

-- Evan Brunell

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As the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline looms, the CBS Facts & Rumors team will look at the biggest players leading up to the deadline. This week we'll look at the teams who will be talked about the most; next week will be the players who might be moved.

On June 8, the White Sox were nine games under .500 and 9 ½ games back in the American League Central. But then they roared back into the playoff picture with an amazing surge and now sit atop the division.

General manager Kenny Williams has said he wants to bulk up for the second half, and he’s one of the more mercurial figures in the game, prone to acting boldly and quickly. On the other hand, Williams has said he’s not impressed with what’s available and the asking prices, and might stand pat. There’s not much the White Sox could do this month that would shock anyone.

Record: 52-42, two games ahead of Detroit (50-44) and Minnesota (51-45) in the American League Central
General manager: Kenny Williams, 10th year
Expectations: High. The South Side got a championship fix in 2005, and White Sox fans are buzzing over the big rally they have made in the standings.
Payroll status: Opening day payroll was $108.2 million, seventh-highest in baseball. The White Sox have about $66 million committed for 2011.

What they need

Left-handed bat: The White Sox have gotten a collective .231 batting average from their designated hitters, so bringing in a slugger to upgrade there is an obvious target. They’ve been focusing on left-handed power.

Starting pitcher: Considering Jake Peavy is out for the year, Chicago is actually in pretty decent shape and could sit tight with the rotation. But Daniel Hudson’s name is coming up a lot as part of a package to get a hitter, and if the Sox lose him they’ll probably need to move on adding a starter.

Who may fit

Left-handed bat: Reports indicate the Nationals’ Adam Dunn is Williams’ top priority, and Dunn would be a great fit. As of early this week, the asking price (Gordon Beckham or Carlos Quentin, for openers) was more than Williams was willing to pay.

The other big name connected to the Sox is Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder, though reports vary on whether Chicago is in that race. As with Dunn, the price would be steep.

On the next tier would be the Astros’ Lance Berkman, who is not having a great year and is expensive.  Also a possibility, though a remote one, is right-handed Toronto home run leader Jose Bautista.

Starting pitcher: Don’t expect Chicago to be in on the biggest names, but they could focus on a second-tier guy like Jake Westbrook, Kyle Farnsworth or possibly Fausto Carmona.

Trade chips

Young infielder Beckham (.241/.297/.341) is the first name to come up in talks, but the White Sox really want to hang onto the 23-year-old, whom they drafted in the first round in 2008. He’s still learning the ropes at the big-league level, but he has a huge upside at the plate.

Right-hander Hudson, also 23, is projected by most teams as a No. 3 or 4 starter, but the White Sox think his potential could be even higher.

They don’t want to move outfielder Quentin (.244/.344/.517), especially with the way he’s been hitting lately, but if it’s what it takes to get Dunn (who, in addition to bringing a high trade price would need a place to play, since he refuses to DH) without giving up Beckham, they might do it.

Why not offer closer Bobby Jenks? Right-hander J.J. Putz and left-hander Matt Thornton both have closing experience and are pitching out of their minds right now, so Jenks, a pending free agent, is expendable.

Cuban infielder Dayan Viciedo, 21, also is attracting a lot of attention. He has batted .295 in limited major-league action this season.

Predictions

The White Sox don’t meet the Nationals’ price for Dunn, who stays in Washington. They end up with Berkman or turn to alternative options such as Kosuke Fukudome or Adam LaRoche.

-- David Andriesen

More trade deadline chatter (click on city name for blog)
Buyers: New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels
Sellers: Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays

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The Dodgers are looking for pitchers -- any pitchers, starters, relievers, batting practice… it doesn't matter. If you can throw a baseball 60 feet, 6 inches, the Dodgers are interested.

So far, the team has been "very aggressive" in their pursuit of pitching, Yahoo!'s Tim Brown writes . The Dodgers have called about Houston's Roy Oswalt, Chicago's Ted Lilly, Arizona's Dan Haren and Cleveland's Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona.

The team has also called Toronto about their reliever trio of Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Kevin Gregg.

Los Angeles was just swept in St. Louis and dropped their opener against San Francisco last night. The team is now 49-44 and with 12 of its next 16 against San Francisco and San Diego -- two of the three teams ahead of them in the National League West, L.A. could quickly be out of the race. If a move isn't made soon -- and even then, if it doesn't work immediately -- the season could be lost.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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It seems inevitable when a big-time player with an expiring contract becomes available, it's New York that becomes the subject of relocation rumors.

What's different -- for now, at least -- when it comes to Cliff Lee is that it's the Mets that are being mention.

The New York Post 's Joel Sherman writes that Mets general manager Omar Minaya has called Jack Zduriencik to tell him the Mets want a chance to negotiate when the Mariners' boss decides to raise the white flag up the mast and listen to offers for Lee.

Sherman also reports that not only would the Mets consider dealing top prospect Jenry Mejia to secure Lee, but they would not need a negotiating window with Lee to try to secure the ace.

Mejia, a right-handed starter, left his Double-A start in the second inning with what the team described as "shoulder stiffness."

Even with that possibility -- one SportsNet New York's Kevin Burkhardt tweets is not a possibility -- Sherman says many within the organization doubt the Wilpon ownership group would sign off on giving up talent and taking on more payroll.

Sherman also notes the Mets have little-to-no interest in Roy Oswalt and Fausto Carmona, but the Cubs' Ted Lilly could be a possibility if they strike out on Lee.

-- C. Trent Rosecrans

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