Top News:
Sports Illustrated:
Done deal — Red Sox, Matsuzaka agree to six-year contract — Daisuke Matsuzaka has reached a deal with the Boston Red Sox for 6 years, $52 million, SI.com's Jon Heyman has learned. The deal contains escalator clauses that could bring it up to $60 million.
Discussion:
New York Times, A Red Sox Fan …, Clubhouse Insider, WELCOME TO, Baseball Musings, Extra Bases, Canyon of Heroes, Boston Sports Media Watch, Cursed To First, Sports and Music Blog, Pinstripe Alley, Blogging Baseball, Camden Chat, MLB Trade Rumors, Lone Star Ball, Bucs Dugout and A New Pirates Generation
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Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Matsuzaka deal appears imminent — Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein and agent Scott Boras, philosophically worlds apart in the Daisuke Matsuzaka negotiations, put aside their differences at the 11th hour and are near completing a multiyear deal for the coveted Japanese pitcher.
Associated Press:
Sox, Matsuzaka reach preliminary agreement — BOSTON (AP) - The $51.11 million the Red Sox offered to pay for the rights to Daisuke Matsuzaka was enough to get the Japanese ace across the Pacific Ocean. — It took that much again, and a little more, to fly him the rest of the way to Boston.
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Matsuzaka, Red Sox agree to terms — Results of ace's physical awaited to make 6-year, $52m deal official — Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital will have the final word, but assuming Daisuke Matsuzaka passes his physical, the best young pitcher in Japan will be pitching for the Red Sox next season.
Discussion:
Surviving Grady
Howard Ulman / Associated Press:
Matsuzaka arrives in Boston — Daisuke Matsuzaka arrived in Boston on Wednesday with Red Sox officials as the sides neared agreement on a $52 million, six-year contract. — After a 4-hour, 43-minute flight from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., the Dassault Mystere 900 tri-jet …
Discussion:
Cursed To First
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Everybody wins with Matsuzaka deal — When all is said and done, the Red Sox's total payout for Japanese right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka likely will be similar to what left-hander Barry Zito commands as a free agent. — The final numbers — $103 million (six years, $52 million in salary …
Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:
Kapler's new bench role: Retires to manage in minors — As spiritual and introspective as any player that ever put on a Red Sox [team stats] uniform, Gabe Kapler refused to fret when he ruptured his left Achilles tendon running the bases on Sept. 14, 2005. — At the time, the outfielder …
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:Matsuzaka deal worth at least $52 million: Japanese ace hits Hub …
Discussion:
MLB.com
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nationals to Trade Vidro for Prospects — The Washington Nationals took a major step toward freeing room on their future payroll and breaking loose a logjam in the middle infield, agreeing to trade second baseman Jose Vidro — who has spent his entire career with the Montreal-Washington organization …
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nats to trade Vidro to Mariners — Snelling, Fruto to join Washington, pending physicals — The Nationals are expected to trade second baseman Jose Vidro to the Mariners for outfielder Chris Snelling and pitcher Emiliano Fruto, according to Vidro and a high-ranking baseball official.
Howard Fendrich / Associated Press:
Mariners, Nationals have tentative agreement on Vidro deal — WASHINGTON (AP) — Second baseman Jose Vidro would be sent to the Seattle Mariners by the Washington Nationals for two prospects in a tentative trade that is pending physicals for all players involved, a person with knowledge …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Mariners set to acquire Vidro — Seattle will send Snelling, Fruto to Nats, pending physicals — The Nationals are expected to trade second baseman Jose Vidro to the Mariners for outfielder Chris Snelling and pitcher Emiliano Fruto, according to Vidro and a high-ranking baseball official.
Discussion:
Lookout Landing
Geoff Baker / Seattle Times:M's acquire Nationals' second baseman Vidro
Discussion:
The Frinklin and Fred Show
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies ship their workhorse — Ace Jennings traded to Astros for center fielder Taveras and two young pitchers — In the end, the Rockies insisted it wasn't about contracts, agents or an owner's comments. They traded their homegrown opening-day starter Tuesday because they felt it made them better.
Discussion:
Purple Row
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Kevin Baxter / Miami Herald:
New free agents might be sought — Unable to find a trade he could make or a free agent he could afford in the first two months of the offseason, Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest awoke to a changed landscape Wednesday, which he hopes will prove more fruitful.
Discussion:
FishStripes
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Broken wrist to broken dreams — My 2006: Paul Sullivan — The Tribune's Cubs reporter Paul Sullivan looks back on his 2006. — The Cubs season obviously didn't provide many positive stories, though Jim Hendry's off-season spending spree and the philosophical change Cubs management has had has been fascinating to cover.
Discussion:
GROTA
Gus G. Sentementes / Baltimore Sun:
O's worker is caught stealing … The lengthy list of pilfered items from storage rooms at Camden Yards reads like an inventory from a baseball memorabilia collector's garage: — A Melvin Mora bobblehead doll: $3. Six Orioles warm-up jackets: $360. Numerous Orioles autograph cards: $1,000.
Discussion:
Camden Chat
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Miles gets new deal from Birds — TENDERED OFFERS To So Taguchi and Randy Flores, who were arbitration-eligible. — NO CONTRACTS Rick Ankiel and Jorge Sosa were not given offers, making them free agents. — As they finalized a contract with Aaron Miles and tendered an offer to So Taguchi …
