Lob und Kritk » prospects in a loaded Astros system by MLB.com.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have made their choice at outside linebacker, and it isnt LaMarr Woodley. A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press the Steelers will part ways with the former Pro Bowler, a move that hardly serves as a surprise after fifth-year linebacker Jason Worilds agreed to accept a "transition player" tag last week. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move is not yet official. The 29-year-old Woodley will likely be designated a post-June 1 salary cap cut, but is free to sign with another team when the new league year begins Tuesday afternoon. By postponing the move until after June 1, the Steelers would free up about $8 million in salary cap space in 2014. The money saved will likely go toward signing the teams selections in the NFL Draft in May. Woodley will, however, count $8.5 million against the teams cap number in 2015. Woodley signed a six-year, $61.5 million contract in 2011, but has struggled to remain healthy. He missed at least three games in each of the last three seasons as hamstring and other lower body issues kept him sidelined for long stretches. The turning point came in a 25-17 win over New England on Oct. 30, 2011. Woodley sacked Tom Brady twice in that game but also left with a strained hamstring. He had nine sacks at the time of the injury, played in two games the rest of the way and could never seem to rediscover the productivity that made Woodley and James Harrison one of the most feared outside linebacker combinations in the league. The Steelers released Harrison last March and selected Jarvis Jones in the first round of the 2013 draft, making him the heir apparent to Harrison. Jones finished with just one sack but appeared to get better as the season progressed. Woodley did not. He failed to get a sack after Oct. 20 and ended the season on injured reserve. While Woodley sat with calf problems, Worilds thrived. He led Pittsburgh with eight sacks despite playing across from a rookie still adjusting to the league. The decision to release Woodley is the latest in a busy week for the Steelers, who have been forced to become aggressive to get under the salary cap by Tuesday. Safety Troy Polamalu and tight end Heath Miller signed more cap-friendly contracts last week, while Pittsburgh also released offensive tackle Levi Brown, cornerback Curtis Brown and linebacker Larry Foote. The Steelers agreed to terms with safety Will Allen. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported wide receiver Antonio Brown restructured his contract. The Steelers also restructured CB Ike Taylors contract to save cap room. All the movement, however, is unlikely to make the typically conservative Steelers major players when free agency begins. Cheap San Francisco 49ers Jerseys .C. -- North Carolina State coach Mark Gottfried said his team had a "golden" opportunity to help its NCAA tournament chances. Cheap Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys . It was the start of one nice night for the goalie and the Minnesota Wild. Backstrom made 33 saves in his first win of the season and the Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Saturday in a rematch of their first-round playoff series. http://www.wholesalenfljerseyschina.net/?tag=cheap-baltimore-ravens-jerseys . Only it wasnt the extended right pad of his old teammate Jonathan Bernier early in the final frame, it was James Reimer, who stole a night that was supposed to belong to the former King. Cheap Oakland Raiders Jerseys . They find themselves trying to knock each other out in the Western Conference finals for the second straight year. The Blackhawks prevailed last year on their way to the Stanley Cup, and they have the early lead this time after taking the opener, 3-1. wholesale nfl jerseys usa .5 million contract with the right-handed reliever. Ziegler revealed the agreement via Twitter, saying hes "really excited to stay in Arizona for a couple more years, at least.Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - The Atlanta Braves dealt away another power bat as they continue an offseason makeover, trading slugger Evan Gattis to the Houston Astros in exchange for a trio of prospects. Houston sent hard-throwing pitcher Mike Foltynewicz to the Braves along with right-hander Andrew Thurman and third baseman Rio Ruiz, with Atlanta also obtaining minor league hurler James Hoyt in the five-player deal. Gattis has swatted a total of 43 home runs over his first two major league seasons while primarily splitting time between catcher and left field. The 28- year-old had 22 homers and 52 RBI while batting .263 last season, despite being limited to 108 games due to an assortment of injuries. He joins an up-and-coming Houston team that ranked third in the American League with 163 homers in 2014 and had a void in left field, with Gattis also likely to see time as a designated hitter with the Astros. Gattis becomes the third Atlanta player with at least 11 homers last season to be traded this winter. The Braves also shipped 2014 Sillver Slugger winner Justin Upton to San Diego and moved outfielder Jason Heyward to St.dddddddddddd Louis. The Braves did receive a promising return in this deal, as Foltynewicz and Ruiz were ranked as the fourth and ninth-best prospects in a loaded Astros system by MLB.com. Foltynewicz made his major league debut last season, appearing in 16 games as a reliever and posting a 5.30 ERA over 18 2/3 innings. The 2010 first-round pick has worked mostly as a starter in the minor leagues and struck out 102 batters in 102 2/3 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2014. Ruiz, 20, batted .293 with 11 homers, 37 doubles, 77 RBI and a .387 on-base percentage at High-A Lancaster last season. Thurman, a second-round pick of Houston in 2013, spent all of 2014 at Low-A Quad Cities and went 7-9 with a 5.38 ERA over 26 games (20 starts). Hoyt split the 2014 campaign between Triple-A Gwinett and Double-A Mississippi. The 28-year-old posted a 3.17 ERA with seven saves over a combined 52 relief appearances between the two levels. ' ' '