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CLEVELAND -- After considering some in-house options, the Cleveland Indians may have found their new closer on the outside. Free agent John Axford, who had 46 saves for Milwaukee in 2011 but has struggled the past two seasons, agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Indians, pending a physical. Axford, who is from Simcoe, Ont., is expected to undergo a medical exam Wednesday. Also, the Indians signed free agent starter Shaun Marcum to a minor league deal and will give him a chance to win a starting job in spring training. As long as there are no issues, Axford will likely close for the Indians in 2014, replacing Chris Perez, who was released on Oct. 31. Axford can earn an additional $1.75 million if he reaches performance bonuses. Cleveland initially considered moving either reliever Bryan Shaw or Cody Allen into the closers spot, but at last weeks winter meetings manager Terry Francona said he preferred to keep the two reliable right-handers in their setup roles. The 30-year-old Axford lost his closers job last year with the Brewers and was traded to St. Louis in August. He blew six save chances in 62 games last season with the Brewers before they dealt him to the Cardinals, who used him in a late-inning role. Axford had a 1.74 ERA in 13 games for St. Louis. The 6-foot-5 right-hander had his best season in 2011, when he went 2-2 with a 1.95 ERA and 46 saves in 74 appearances. Axford had 106 saves in five seasons with the Brewers. He has a 1.42 ERA in 12 post-season appearances. In addition to Axford, the Indians showed interest in free agents Joaquin Benoit, Grant Balfour and Fernando Rodney. Clevelands bullpen has been in flux this off-season. The club released Perez, a two-time All-Star, following a turbulent 2013 season. Cleveland lost valuable right-hander Joe Smith, who signed a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Perez was eligible for salary arbitration, but the Indians decided to cut ties with him following a rough year. The colorful closer lost his job in the final week of the regular season as the Indians were fighting for an AL wild-card berth. Perez, who had 124 saves for Cleveland, became an off-field distraction following his arrest in June on misdemeanour drug charges. Marcums deal includes an invitation to spring training, where the 32-year-old right-hander will be in the mix to join Clevelands rotation. Marcum would receive a $1 million salary if hes added to the 40-man roster, and he can earn another $3 million in bonuses. Marcum, who has a 58-46 career record in the majors, was limited to 14 games -- 12 starts -- this year for the New York Mets before he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. He went 1-10 with a 5.29 ERA before having the operation in July. Marcum has also pitched for Toronto (2005-10) and Milwaukee (2011-12). He was selected by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2003 June draft. He pitched more than 150 innings in four of five seasons from 2007-11. Jimmy Garoppolo Jersey .Y. - Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby captured his second career Art Ross trophy on Sunday after leading the NHL in scoring this season. Patrick Willis Jersey . Hattestad managed to avoid the carnage midway through the mens final, as a crash took out three skiers, essentially leaving two men vying for gold. The Norwegian posted a time of 3:38.39, outlasting Swedens Teodor Peterson, who took silver with a time of 3:39. http://www.officialsanfrancisco49ersfootball.com/authentic-joe-staley-jersey-womens . Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions. Richard Sherman Jersey . Mark Van Guilder, Austin Watson and Colton Sissons also scored for the Admirals (22-13-10), who are 2-0-2 in their last four outings, while Roussel tacked on an assist for a two-point night. Greg Pateryn scored once for the Bulldogs (20-22-4), who lost their fifth straight contest, and also assisted on Gabriel Dumonts goal. Adrian Colbert Jersey . Ted Ligety, Mikaela Shiffrin, Bode Miller and Tim Jitloff underlined the squads enormous potential on the Rettenbach glacier in Austria.There are just 17 days left in the Major League season, yet nine of the 15 teams in the American League are still alive for possible postseason berths. Of those nine, Boston and Detroit are the only ones that appear to be locks, with the division leads they have in the East and the Central. At this moment, the two coldest teams in the A.L. are holding the two Wild Card slots. Texas holds the first sitting two games up on Tampa Bay. Then you have four teams bunched within two and a half games of the Rays and that second Wild Card position. Texas has dropped four series in a row though, and opens a criticial three-game set at home on Friday night against an Oakland As team that they trail by three and a half games in the West. The Yanks for all their injuries, are just one game back of the Rays heading into a gigantic series at Fenway Park in Boston against the East-leading Red Sox. Its the final series between these two teams this season. Cleveland is just one-and-a-half back of the Rays as they continue their four-game set against the lowly White Sox at Chicago. Kansas City and Baltimore are in a more precarious position, tied two-and-a-half games back of Tampa Bay. The Royals are at Detroit for three this week, while the Orioles are visiting the Blue Jays. The Rays have dropped 13 of their last 18, but after a dramatic 4-3 win at home against the Red Sox Thursday night, they have a chance to build some momentum and breathing room with a three-game set at Minnesota this weekend. Still, its not beyond the realm of possibility that both Texas and Tampa might let those Wild Card spots slip away, or have them taken away. The team to watch is Cleveland. Yes, their ace right hander Justin Masterson is still recovering from a strained left oblique muscle, and there is no definitive word on when he is going to return. Having said that, Cleveland is already 7-4 in September and has the most inviting schedule of any of the teams still in the race. 13 of their remaining 16 games are against teams with sub-.500 records including six against the White Sox. The "Tribe" has already gone 12-2 this season against Chicago. The only contender Cleveland plays is Kansas City in a three-game road set next week. The Royals schedule isnt nearly as kind. In addition to Cleveland, they have three with Detroit and three with Texas. They also close out the season with seven straight on the road, albeit against Seattle and the White Sox. Baltimore has the most ddifficult schedule down the stretch.dddddddddddd All 16 of its games are against the East, including six against Boston and four with Tampa Bay. The Blue Jays could figure in here as well since they have six left against the Os. The Yankees schedule at least gives them a chance, if they dont get wiped out in Boston this weekend or stumble at home in the final week against the Rays. They have a three-game set at Rogers Centre against the Blue Jays next week and then follow that up with a three-game home set against the San Francisco Giants. The Yanks close out the campaign on the road with a soft touch four games at Houston. Bottom line, if Texas and Tammpa Bay continue to falter, my picks to get in are the Yankees and Cleveland. The Yanks have yet another major injury concern though. Brett Gardner, their table-setting, speedy leadoff hitter strained an oblique muscle on a checked swing Thursday night in Baltimore. If hes out any length of time, the Yanks offence could start to sputter. If Cleveland can somehow get in and get by the sudden-death Wild Card match-up, they would face Boston in the ALDS, which would pit Terry Francona, the former Red Sox manager who led them to two World Series victories, going up against his old pitching coach and the man who replaced him, former Jays skipper John Farrell. What a series that would be! Remember back in 1992, when Dave Winfield encouraged Jays fans to be more boisterous, and the "Winfield wants Noise" mantra was born? Well something similar happened in Cleveland this week. Michael Bourn was quoted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer as asking for more fan support, period. Said Bourn, "wed like to be supported a little bit more, if we could." Who could blame him for the impassioned plea? Cleveland is coming off a 5-4 homestand and had the two smallest September crowds ever at Progressive Field - 9,794 and 9,962. Their largest crowd of the homestand was just 21,453. On the season, Cleveland has only drawn 1,426,120 or 19,536 per game. Thats pretty sad for a team that could be going to the Playoffs. Only Houston and Tampa Bay have drawn less, and the Rays are further disgraced by having the lowest attendance of all in the Majors. On Thursday night at Tropicana Field with a top notch match-up with the Red Sox and so much at stake, the Rays only drew 20,360. Its no wonder there are rumblings of relocating the Rays, maybe even to Montreal. But thats a story for another day. 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