year-old takes over a Cubs team that showed improvement in

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants and pitcher Ryan Vogelsong are moving forward into free agency, each prepared to explore their separate opportunities. At the same time, neither side is ruling out a reunion or coming back together at some point. The Giants declined to exercise Vogelsongs $6.5 million contract option for 2014 on Monday, but the parties agreed to keep open the possibility of potential negotiations down the road about a deal. "The doors open for dicussions with Vogelsong, but were not actively talking right now," assistant general manager Bobby Evans said Monday night. "Both sides are going to do some exploration of the market before we dive into that. I think it was somewhat the complexity of our overall needs going into the market ... to explore those fully, we need more time, and unfortunately we had to make a decision today." Vogelsong went 4-6 with a 5.73 ERA in 19 starts and 103 2-3 innings during an injury-shortened season. He broke two bones in the right pinkie area of his pitching hand and also dislocated a knuckle on a swing May 20 and underwent surgery the next day. He had five pins inserted in his hand during the procedure at Stanford, performed by orthopedist Dr. Tim McAdams. Vogelsong won 13 and 14 games, respectively, the previous two seasons. He is due a $300,000 buyout. Evans said the Giants didnt offer Vogelsong a contract with a lower guaranteed salary. "We did not put anything on the table. Theres no formal process where we go from here," Evans said. "I think Ryan has always had interest in being a Giant, but he has the opportunity to explore other options. Today doesnt eliminate his chances of coming back." San Francisco has been in discussions with lefty reliever Javier Lopez, and Evans expects him to explore his options in free agency. "Theres an open mind about what could happen and were going to maintain contact," Evans said. The Giants already declined their 2014 options on Saturday for $126 million left-hander Barry Zito -- $18 million with a $7 million buyout -- and outfielder Andres Torres for $3 million with a $500,000 buyout. Yet with starters Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner each signed to long-term deals and two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum landing a $35 million, two-year contract Oct. 25. "These are three mainstays of our rotation, not only for the immediate past but going forward," Evans said. "This is the core of a solid rotation and we want to explore options on the market to make it better." In addition Monday, Evans said Giants 17-year-old outfielder Gustavo Cabrera -- a top prospect in the organization from last years international free-agent class -- flew to San Francisco for emergency surgery after an injury in his Dominican Republic home. The way Evans understands it, upon returning home from instructional league Cabrera slipped and tried to break his fall by raising his right arm but it went through glass and he nearly severed his wrist. The Giants top team of doctors worked on Cabrera, who is now able to move his fingers again. "How he flew to San Francisco in immense pain, Ill never know, a brave young man," Evans said. "Hes 17 years old. I dont think its career-threatening. We could be looking at a year or more of rehab to get him back to baseball activity." A right-handed hitter Cabrera batted .247 with two home runs, seven doubles, four triples and 22 RBIs with 21 stolen bases in 54 games for the Giants Dominican Summer League team this year. Authentic Dekoda Watson Jersey .com) - Virginia is for loving Latrell Scott. Authentic Antone Exum Jersey .com) - The Miami Heat stopped a four-game losing streak last time out and thats the same length slide their opponents Wednesday night, the Denver Nuggets, will try to halt when the two teams meet at the Pepsi Center. http://www.cheap49ersjerseysauthentic.com/ . LOUIS -- Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks won the matchup of unbeaten teams. Authentic Trent Taylor Jersey . LeBron James believes hes a major reason for their early failures. Authentic Erik Magnuson Jersey . On Wednesday, Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas hit back. In a passionate defence of himself and the London clubs medical staff, the Portuguese coach rebuked the "incompetent people" who have attacked Tottenham for allowing Lloris to continue playing after being briefly knocked unconscious against Everton on Sunday.Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Cubs formally ushered in another new era by introducing former Tampa Bay Rays skipper Joe Maddon as their new manager on Monday. The team also announced that Maddon agreed to a five-year contract in which financial terms were not disclosed, though ESPN reported the deal to be worth $25 million and includes incentives tied to making the postseason. The Cubs moved quickly to obtain Maddons services after the two-time American League Manager of the Year opted out of his contract with the Rays on Oct. 24, shortly after Tampa Bay general manager Andrew Friedman left the organization to become the president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Maddon, who guided the small-market Rays to four playoff appearances and the 2008 AL pennant over the past seven seasons, joins a long-suffering Cubs franchise that has endured five consecutive losing campaigns and last won the World Series in 1908. This is a 1-in-107 a year opportunity for me, said Maddon during Mondays press conference. The challenge is so outstanding. How could you not want to be in this seat? The Cubs future appeared bright even before the hiring of the enthusiastic and ever-optimistic Maddon, though. Chicagos present farm system is ranked among baseballs strongest and the Cubs are expected to be significant players in free agency this offseason, something Maddon never experienced during his successful nine-year run with the low-budget Rays. Those factors, coupled with Friedmans departure and the presence of Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein -- who nearly hired Maddon as the Red Sox manager in 2004 while then Bostons GM -- played a role in Maddons decision.dddddddddddd. I knew there was a lot of common ground philosophically, said Maddon. I know that the synergy between the front office and the manager is really, really important. This is a really good fit for me personally. I feel very comfortable here. The 60-year-old takes over a Cubs team that showed improvement in Rick Renterias lone season as manager, with Chicago posting a 73-89 record in 2014 after winning 66 and 61 games the previous two years. Despite those strides, Epstein informed Renteria last week of his intention to pursue Maddon and make a switch. Renteria was offered another position within the organization but predictably declined. Even though they annually operated with one of the lowest payrolls in the majors, the Rays were a consistent contender for much of Maddons reign. Lauded for his ability to work with young players and to maximize the available talent on hand, the charismatic manager guided Tampa to six consecutive winning seasons that began with the unexpected 2008 World Series run. The Rays, who had never won over 70 games in their first 10 seasons prior to that 2008 breakthrough, also reached the playoffs in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Maddon amassed a 754-705 overall record in Tampa Bay, easily the most of any manager in club history. ' ' '