Top News:
Murray Chass / New York Times:
Talk of Misconduct Is Swirling Around Red Sox — The Boston Red Sox might think of the Yankees as the Evil Empire, but other people in baseball now seem to view the Red Sox as a team that feels it can operate outside the rules. — According to executives of several clubs …
Discussion:
The Feeding the Monster Blog, Extra Bases, The GYS Network, Bronx Banter, WasWatching.com, 6-4-2 and Yanksfan vs Soxfan
RELATED:
Bob Dutton / Kansas City Star:Royals appear close to one-year deal with Dotel
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Bonds, Giants agree on one-year deal — Slugger, 21 homers shy of Aaron, set to re-sign for $16 million — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Giants agreed in principle on Thursday to re-sign slugger Barry Bonds for the 2007 season, said a source with knowledge of the negotiations.
RELATED:
Tim Kawakami / Mercury News:
Bidding against themselves, Giants managed to lose hand — They blinked. They choked. They surrendered and submitted to Barry Bonds. They had no direction to go, except his way and on his terms. — How feeble. How perfectly small of the Giants. — Why did the Giants …
Discussion:
Sports Scope
Associated Press:
Staying Put: Bonds to re-up with Giants for $16 million — NEW YORK — Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants reached agreement on a $16 million, one-year contract Thursday night that will keep the controversial slugger in the Bay Area to take aim at baseball's home run record.
San Francisco Chronicle:
RAY RATTO — Magowan's tough talk was just blather — Well, so much for fiscal discipline. So much for turning the page. So much for Barry Bonds not being able to use Peter Magowan as his own leather-upholstered ottoman. — The Giants and their best friend/bete noire have made one more deal …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Rick Morrissey / Chicago Tribune:
Sox no longer pitching championship dreams — With Cubs general manager Jim Hendry having undergone an angioplasty, the logical question is whether the brain-trauma wing of his hospital has room for White Sox GM Ken Williams. — Williams either fell on his head on his own at baseball's winter meetings …
RELATED:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Ohka offered Major League contract — Right-hander will begin second stint with club if he agrees — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Nationals have offered free agent Tomo Ohka a Major League contract, MLB.com has learned. If he agrees to the deal, Ohka will begin his second stint with the organization.
RELATED:
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
No Major Moves, Two Minor Ones — Nationals Still Shopping Church; Team Picks Up Catcher, Pitcher in Rule 5 Draft — Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden all but sprinted from the Walt Disney World Dolphin resort late Thursday morning, acting fidgety and eager to vacate a spot where …
Discussion:
MLB.com, Nationals Farm Authority, District of Baseball, William F. Yurasko and Ben Maller's Sports …
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
RELATED:
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:Rule 5 Draft — The major league portion of the Rule Five draft …
Discussion:
TigerBlog
MLB.com:
Mets sign RHP Guillermo Mota — The New York Mets announced today that they have signed righthanded pitcher Guillermo Mota to a two-year, $5 million contract. — Mota, 33, went 3- with a 1.00 ERA in 18 games with the Mets after he was acquired along with cash considerations …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
RELATED:
Juan C. Rodriguez / Sun-Sentinel:
Rule 5 yields Labandeira, 2 other picks — Infielder was suspended for amphetamines — · The Marlins opted to spare somebody the burden of living up to Dan Uggla's Rule 5 legacy. — Thursday's Winter Meetings-culminating Rule 5 Draft was over in less than 40 minutes and did not feature …
Discussion:
FishStripes
RELATED:
Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:No deals, but Marlins believe progress was made
Discussion:
FishStripes
Joe Posnanski / Kansas City Star:
Sometimes, madness is appropriate — Yes, at first glance, it seems a little — what's the word here? — let us say "surprising" that the Royals gave pitcher Gil Meche a five-year, $55 million deal. However, upon closer inspection, it seems clear that ... OK, whoa, whoa, let's slow down a little bit.
RELATED:
Newsday:
Astros play deal or no deal — Trade for pitcher falls through, keeping them in Pettitte hunt — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A pair of New York reporters, one from Newsday, approached Astros president Tal Smith yesterday morning and asked him about Andy Pettitte.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Steinbrenner considers taking Gooden back — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner met with Dwight Gooden this week and said he'd consider giving the former star a role with the team provided he stays off drugs and alcohol until mid-February.
RELATED:
Childs Walker / Baltimore Sun:
O's video picture getting fuzzier … The Maryland Stadium Authority agreed yesterday to move forward with the purchase of a new Mitsubishi video screen for Camden Yards despite objections from the Orioles. — Orioles officials say the DiamondVision screen is too small and technologically inadequate …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Zambrano delay could be costly — He's on track to be top '08 free agent — ORLANDO — While St. Louis handed Chris Carpenter to a three-year extension Monday on the first day of the winter meetings, expecting he would be their ace through 2011, the Cubs concentrated on solidifying their starting rotation.
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
John Hickey / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Bavasi: Meetings 'miserable' — No big deals for Mariners as winter confab ends — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — When the Mariners packed up and left the Land of the Mouse on Thursday, they didn't need the extra bag they'd brought along to pack the souvenirs they were planning to lug back to Seattle.
Mark Feinsand / MLB.com:
Villone declines Yanks' arbitration offer — Reliever wants to play in New York, but keeping options open — NEW YORK — Ron Villone declined the Yankees' arbitration offer Thursday, leaving the left-hander available on the free-agent market. — Villone, who returned Thursday from a 12 …
Kevin Kennedy / Fox Sports:
Red Sox overspent for Lugo, Drew — While there hasn't been a huge flurry of activity at baseball's annual winter meetings and no real significant trades, there has been enough noise coming from the free-agent market to open some eyes. — Not surprisingly, there has been significant money put …
