Hot Stove Lunch: HOF results coming tonight; the Mets try some spin and more

This is a daily BSJ off-season feature that will arrive in time for your lunch, Monday-Friday.

A spin around the leagues with the latest news, notes, and rumors around Major League Baseball

RED SOX

It's Hall of Fame Day.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, the results of balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America will be revealed. It's widely accepted Chipper Jones and Jim Thome, both first-year eligibles, will sail in. Vladimir Guerrero is also expected to make it. Trevor Hoffman and Edgar Martinez would seem to both be on the proverbial bubble.

There won't be any former Red Sox players gaining entrance. Roger Clemens will see his vote total increase, and, may, in a few years, make it. The same goes for Curt Schilling. Manny Ramirez, having failed at least two PED tests, isn't gaining any traction. Meanwhile, Johnny Damon is in imminent danger of dropping off the ballot after just one year if he fails to garner at least five percent of the vote.

But that shouldn't take away any of the excitement that comes with today. It could be a crowded stage in Cooperstown next July, if as many as five players gain election from BBWAA, joining Jack Morris and Alan Trammell, who were elected by the Veterans Committee last month.

AL EAST

Roch Kubatko weighs in on some Orioles matters.

The Rays are getting ready to hold their annual Fan Fest.

Curtis Granderson is upbeat about the Jays' chances.

AL CENTRAL

Terry Pluto bemoans the fact that Omar Vizquel is unlikely to be voted into the Hall of Fame.

The Tigers plan to observe the 50th anniversary of their 1968 World Series team

What does it mean when the Royals are completely shutout of the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list?

All-Star reliever Glen Perkins plans to retire.

Former Red Sox pitching prospect Michael Kopech got invited to major league camp by the White Sox.

AL WEST

Why the A's should think about taking on some dead money

The Mariners did a nice thing for a fan going through a tough time.

Carlos Gomez took an unusual tact to meet with the Rangers.

The Astros are on a collision course with the Yankees, writes Danny Knobler.

NL 

Jeff Wilpon attempted to address the matter of the Mets and their declining payroll. It didn't go well, writes Mike Vaccaro.

TAKE I MAY REGRET IN A MONTH:

Late Tuesday afternoon, a release from Major League Baseball hit my in-box, revealing that MLB had suspended two members of the Astros organization for violating the game's drug program.

Exactly eight minutes later, almost like clockwork, came another e-mail, this one from the Major League Baseball Players Association. In it, Dean Deetz, one of the disciplined players, maintained that he was shocked, just shocked, to have failed a test.

A disclaimer: I don't know Deetz. In fact, I had never heard of him until Tuesday. He appeared in 17 games for the Astros' Triple-A team last season and wasn't exactly on my radar.

But there was a certain familiarity to the email. "I have never knowingly taken a....'' "I would never jeopardize...'' "I have no idea how I could possibly have tested positive...''

These claims of innocence happen all the time when a player gets popped for PED use. It's always a big mystery to the players being disciplined.

Look -- I understand that it's the PA's job to represent the player, and if asked, provide a forum for him to maintain his innocence.

But after a while, it all sounds a little silly. Many of these PEDs are available by injection only, and yet, players routinely protest that they have no idea how this happened.

It's a wonder that some of these statements can be written with a straight face.