Top News:
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
No progress on Matsuzaka — Latest negotiating session lasts only 40 minutes — As day turned into evening in Southern California yesterday, a source with a direct pipeline to the Daisuke Matsuzaka negotiations reported "no progress" in the Red Sox' attempts to sign the Japanese pitcher …
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MetsBlog.com
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Boston Herald:
Sox want D-Mat's answer — NEWPORT BEACH, Calif - The Red Sox [team stats] made it clear last night to Japanese star pitcher Daisuke Matzusaka and his agent Scott Boras that if Matsuzaka is not on owner John Henry's private jet today when it leaves Southern California, there is no chance of a deal getting done, according to a source.
Michael Silverman / Clubhouse Insider:
Matsuzaka wants $11M per year; Sox offering $8M — COSTA MESA, Calif. — Pessimism from both sides of these Daisuke Matsuzaka talks rules the day, or early morning, but talks are not dead and the deadline is still not until Thursday (in case you hadn't heard).
Jim Baumbach / Newsday:
Marcus Giles intrigues Mets — The Braves' decision to not offer Marcus Giles a contract by Tuesday night's midnight deadline and make him a free agent opened a potentially intriguing door for the Mets. — Jose Valentin already is signed for $3.8 million next year, but the Mets still appear …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Wells done? — The Toronto Blue Jays have one of those adult decisions to make, 2½ months after finishing 10 games behind the New York Yankees and a game ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. — Its name is Vernon Wells. — He is the signature position player for an organization that …
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Fox Sports:
Cardinals still need several more starters — The Winter Meetings are dead, mourned and buried, but the St. Louis Cardinals still have much work to do. — They may have the World Series trophy, but they don't have a full rotation. That's noteworthy because their options — the serious options …
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nats Hire Herr, Shuffle Minor League Staff — The Washington Nationals announced adjustments to their minor league staff yesterday, adding former major league second baseman Tom Herr as the manager of their new Class A affiliate in Hagerstown and shuffling many of the other managerial assignments.
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Howard Ulman / Associated Press:Kapler retires to become minor league manager
Discussion:
The Griddle
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Houston deals for Colorado's Jennings — The Astros have acquired right-hander Jason Jennings from the Rockies, FOXSports.com has learned. — The Rockies will receive center fielder Willy Taveras and right-handers Jason Hirsh and Taylor Buchholz for Jennings and right-hander Miguel Asencio, major-league sources said.
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Todd Zolecki / Centre Daily Times:
Phils adjust to hitter-friendly home — A small park is "part of the game," veteran hurler Jamie Moyer says. "You deal with it." — Jamie Moyer said it couldn't have mattered less. — Citizens Bank Park is a notorious hitters' park. Hitters beam in batting practice while pitchers make comparisons to Little League fields.
Jason Beck / MLB.com:
Tigers make room on roster for Mesa — Gomez non-tendered, but could return for Minor League pact — DETROIT — Alexis Gomez became an unlikely Tigers hero in the playoffs after being taken off the roster twice during the regular season. On Tuesday, he made room for a third time this year.
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets non-tender Zambrano — Talented, but oft-injured starting pitcher is now a free agent — The Mets regularly had tracked the progress of Victor Zambrano as he rehabbed his surgically-repaired right elbow. They appeared to maintain a level of interest in the pitcher who had been a member …
Miami Herald:
BaseBrawl of champions at TNA event — Catcher A.J. Pierzynski of the 2005 world champion Chicago White Sox picked a fight with World Series MVP David Eckstein of the 2006 world champion St. Louis Cardinals during the TNA pay-per-view Turning Point on Sunday, Dec. 10 from Universal Studios Orlando.
Art Thiel / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Hard for M's to proclaim upgrade — Rarely one to offer illumination casually, Bill Bavasi used the term "miserable" to describe his experience at baseball's recent winter meetings at Disney World. — You know, the place where the Mariners qualified to become the eighth dwarf.
Discussion:
FishStripes
Associated Press:
Gagne agrees to $6M deal with Rangers — ARLINGTON, Texas — Reliever Eric Gagne and the Texas Rangers reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday on a one-year contract worth about $6 million. — The agreement was confirmed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition …
Discussion:
Tribe Report
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