The Los Angeles Angels forked over the cash to lock in outfielder/DH Vladimir Guerrero and pitcher John Lackey when they exercised both options while they declined the option on outfielder Garret Anderson.

To keep Guerrero in the fold, the Angels picked up the ‘09 option worth $15 million.  Lackey’s option cost the Angels $9 million.  According to the club’s press release, the club also announced Guerrero had successful surgery on the medial meniscus in his left knee on October 10.

The Angels exercised the $3-million buy-out on Anderson’s contract.  The 36-year-old Anderson is now a free agent.

In the same press release, it was reported that Gary Mathews Jr. and Mike Napoli are both scheduled to undergo surgery this week.

…Again twice in the span of as many days the Umpiring crew for the World Series has admitted they missed a call. This time it was the missed call by then 3rd base umpire Tim Welke in Game 4. With Jimmy Rollins on third a chopper back to the mound instead of going to first pitcher Andy Sonnanstine got Rollins into a run down, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria applied the tag, though Welke called Rollins safe. [Yahoo]

“He’s seen the replay. He knows he missed it,” Mike Port, Major League Baseball’s vice president for umpiring, said Monday.

This could honestly speed up the process of where instant replay could be used more than just for fair/foul on home run calls. Really, the Umps are making the decision a bit easier with the blown calls.

…Because of the weather delay the Tampa Bay Rays were left scrambling for a hotel. They had checked out Monday before their game with the Phillies with the thought of the series heading back to Tampa. With the weather stoppage, the only place they could find with rooms was 25 miles south of Philadelphia in Wilmington Delaware. [USA Today]

…As I reported yesterday Team Japan was still in need of a manager for the World Baseball Classic, and that Tatsunori Hara was now the leading canidate to take the reigns of the WBC defending champs. Hara has now accepted the job and will be the skipper of Team Japan as they try to make it two in a row in the WBC. [CBS]

…According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, second baseman Marcus Giles is far from retired and looking to land a gig for 2009. The last we heard from Mr. Giles was when he almost signed with the Dodgers and backed out at the last second. [ESPN Insider]

 ”He wants to come back and play,” Bick said. “I could not be more thrilled with what he’s done over the course of the summer [to re-start his career] … He’s going to set a goal of making an All-Star team.” Bick said he’s already had some conversations with some teams.

…In Seattle the Jack Zduriencik era is under way, his first order of buisness? Fire the Scouting Director. Yesterday Zduriencik informed Scouting Director Bob Fontaine that his services were no longer needed. According to one ’source’, Bob wasn’t even allowed to fight for his job. It looks as though Zduriencik will be bring a couple of his guys over from the Brewers Organization. [Seattle Times]

…Former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph is refuting reports that he turned down a job with the Washington Nationals. [ESPN]

“There are [stories] out there that I turned down the Washington [third base] coaching job,” Randolph said, according to the New York Post. “That’s not true. [General manager] Jim [Bowden] and I spoke and he knew that I was looking for an opportunity to manage and he said he would get back to me. It was never offered, so there was nothing to turn down.”

According to the FAN 590 in Toronto, a reliable source is reporting that last night’s suspended game will not continue this evening.

More news when it becomes available.

Update - 1:30PM EST

According to MLB.com Game five is being delayed. This now confirms the earlier report I heard on the radio on my way home from work.

From the report,

Game Five is now tentatively scheduled to resume on Wednesday evening at 8:37 p.m. (ET), weather permitting.

Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said: “While obviously we want to finish Game Five as soon as possible, the forecast for today does not allow for us to continue the game this evening. We are closely monitoring tomorrow’s forecast and will continue to monitor the weather on an hourly basis. We will advise fans as soon as we are able to make any final decisions with respect to tomorrow’s schedule.”

This news does not bode well for MLB officials who are already taking a beating from last nights suspended game. Last night, I questioned why MLB officials did not try to push up last nights game. However, with the news that Bud Selig and company were not expecting more then 1/10th of an inch of rain prior to 11 PM EST, there is reason to believe they truly felt as though the weather would not have a major impact on the outcome of the game.

What do you think? What should have MLB officials done last night while saving the integrity of what could have been a decisive final game in the series?