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Baseball America:
Major League Rule 5 Draft Selections — First Round — Pick — Team — Player, Pos., Previous Org. — *1. — Devil Rays — Ryan Goleski, of, Indians — Stats/Skinny: Hit .306/.391/.557 between Double-A Akron and high Class A Kinston. Joins crowded A's outfield depth chart, but power potential gives him a chance
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Baseball America:
Hamilton Headlines Active Rule 5 — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.—Two days ago, a scout from a National League club alluded to Josh Hamilton as a possible Rule 5 pick. — But even he didn't sound serious. — "I could see it maybe . . . the tools are still there for the most part," he said.
Discussion:
U.S.S. Mariner
Baseball America:
Rule 5 Draft Blog — The 2006 Rule 5 draft is here, and Chris Kline and John Manuel are blogging live from the Northern Hemisphere ballroom at Disney's Swan & Dolphin resort. — 8:40 a.m.: Early word in the Northern Hemisphere has the Athletics—after paying $100,000 to the Devil Rays …
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
White Sox could trade Garland to Astros — ORLANDO, Fla. - The White Sox might not be done trading starting pitchers. — One day after sending right-hander Freddy Garcia to the Phillies, the White Sox were discussing sending right-hander Jon Garland to the Astros for center fielder Willy Taveras …
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The Baseball Files
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
The latest from the winter meetings … Things are wrapping up at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Stay tuned for the latest on trades, free-agent signings and the rumors we're hearing at Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resort: — All times ET — • The White Sox-Astros deal …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Jose De Jesus Ortiz / Houston Chronicle:Garland deal stalls; Pettitte remains in talks
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Jennings faces domino effect — Orlando, Fla. - Philadelphia Phillies general manager Pat Gillick sat speechless in the front row of a news conference. It appeared the perfect reaction to the first major trade of the winter meetings involving a starting pitcher.
Discussion:
Bad Altitude, Purple Row, MLB Trade Rumors, MetsBlog.com, Can't Stop The Bleeding and Ben Maller's Sports …
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Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Yanks Appear Closer to Signing Pettitte — The Yankees' solution for their immediate future may come from their recent past. Andy Pettitte is committed to pitching again, and Roger Clemens could eventually join him for a reunion with the Yankees. — Pettitte could still return …
George King / New York Post:
PITCH 'EM UP — QUIET CASHMAN ZOOMS — IN ON PETTITTE, ZITO — Andy Pettitte is in play big-time with the Yankees and Barry Zito was on the table last night when Brian Cashman and Scott Boras spent four hours together outside of the Dolphin Hotel. — "Cash is trying to improve …
Andrew Baggarly / Mercury News:
St. Louis expresses interest in the slugger — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols, back to back? It's more than a fantasy league lineup — and more than a rumor. — St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa approached Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, on Wednesday night and requested …
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Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Getting dicey with Matsuzaka — Sox not as optimistic about chances to sign Japanese pitcher — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — With a week to go before the clock strikes midnight on the Red Sox' quest to sign Daisuke Matsuzaka, perhaps it should not surprise anyone that the Sox are feeling …
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Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Manny not changing uniforms — Slugger likely to remain with Red Sox next season — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein's unofficial Wednesday midnight deadline for trading superstar slugger Manny Ramirez passed with the enigmatic cleanup man still wearing a Boston uniform.
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox
Steve Henson / Los Angeles Times:
Dodgers add two big names — Schmidt agrees to a three-year, $47-million deal and Gonzalez agrees to one-year deal as Colletti adds depth, enhancing attempt to trade for a slugger. — LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — In the most impressive recovery of the winter meetings, the Dodgers bounced …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
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Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:
Royals reach agreement with Meche on five-year deal — The Royals provided a blockbuster conclusion to the winter meetings Thursday by reaching agreement with free-agent pitcher Gil Meche on a five-year deal believed to be worth $55 million. — "Gil Meche is a guy who we feel fits …
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ESPN:Royals, Meche agree to five-year deal
Discussion:
Associated Press, Bucs Dugout, Bad Altitude, Royals Review, Baseball Musings, Knuckle Curve, MLB Trade Rumors and True Blue LA
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Mets want to trade for Haren ... not Harden — ORLANDO, Fla. - The A's pitcher coveted by the Mets is not right-hander Rich Harden, but right-hander Dan Haren, according to major-league sources. — Several reports have indicated that the Mets want to trade for Harden …
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Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Meetings fruitful for aggressive Cubs — Chicago bolsters rotation, nears deal for left-handed bench aid — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Cubs ended the Winter Meetings with potential help in the rotation and on the bench, but had to leave general manager Jim Hendry behind.
Discussion:
Just A Nats Fan
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Janie McCauley / Associated Press:Chicago Cubs GM undergoes angioplasty
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Winter meetings: Braves pull plug on trade with Pirates — Teams exchange barbs after Gonzalez-LaRoche deal fizzles — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Pirates came close to a trade with the Atlanta Braves, one that would have shipped …
