Top News:
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
Some friendly suggestions for Matsuzaka — An open letter to Daisuke Matsuzaka: — Dear, Dice-K (OK if we call you Dice-K? Or would you rather D-Mat or Dice Man?), — Welcome to Boston. Thought you might like to know a little about your new workplace.
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David Picker / New York Times:
Blood, Sweat and Type O: Japan's Weird Science — In the end, the Red Sox apparently decided to spend more than $100 million to get the Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka in a Boston uniform for the next six seasons, a daring financial outlay for an athlete who has never thrown a pitch …
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
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.
Tony Massarotti / Boston Herald:
The world's theirs again: Sox' new theme is brass bonanza — When they got on the plane, chests puffed out, you had to wonder if Theo Epstein was carrying Daisuke Matsuzaka under one arm while Larry Lucchino had Scott Boras under another. This is the way it works now at Fenway Park [map] …
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Red Sox, Matsuzaka set six-year deal — Pact worth $52 million reportedly to be announced Thursday — BOSTON — After a topsy-turvy month of negotiations, the Red Sox — according to multiple media reports — have at last landed Japanese pitching sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka …
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
This Year, No Anna Benson (Among Others) — A year ago, the Mets' holiday children's party at Shea Stadium was turned upside down by Anna Benson, who wore a revealing crimson dress in her role as Mrs. Claus. — Mrs. Benson has since relocated to Baltimore, where her husband, Kris …
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Michael Morrissey / New York Post:
WRIGHT ON BOARD FOR PITCH TO ZITO — If Barry Zito is interested in taking Manhattan, then David Wright is interested in taking him around it. — Yesterday afternoon, Wright enthusiastically suggested that he would be a tour guide for Zito to woo the top-notch free agent.
NY Daily News:
Bombers mull pitch for Pineiro — The Yankees already have Andy Pettitte in the fold, they likely have Kei Igawa on the way and they still have Roger Clemens in their sights whenever he decides about next year. — But a person familiar with the Yankees' thinking said the team …
Discussion:
Off the Facade
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Geoff Baker / Seattle Times:
M's deal for Nationals' Vidro — It was only by playing every day that new Mariners designated hitter Jose Vidro figured he could get his bat scorching again the way folks remembered it. — Trouble is, the grind of daily action at second base had landed the career .301 hitter …
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Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:Nationals to Trade Vidro for Prospects
Discussion:
MLB.com, Seattle Times, Baseball Prospectus, U.S.S. Mariner, Capitol Punishment, DCSportsChick, Fox Sports, District of Baseball, Federal Baseball, William F. Yurasko, Lookout Landing, Nationals Farm Authority, MLB Trade Rumors, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Just A Nats Fan, 6-4-2 and Baseball Musings
Kat O'Brien / Dallas Star-Telegram:
Rangers spend day planning for future — The Rangers had a quiet Wednesday, a day after signing center fielder Kenny Lofton and reaching a preliminary contract agreement with closer Eric Gagne. — They were plenty busy, however, with organization-wide meetings.
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Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Club makes contract offer to second baseman Giles — General Manager Kevin Towers said he made a contractual offer yesterday to second baseman Marcus Giles, the former Braves regular who became a free agent on Tuesday night. The proposal is believed to be worth $3 million to $4 million.
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Rays, Iwamura confident as deal nears completion … ST. PETERSBURG - Owner Stuart Sternberg isn't sending a private plane like the Red Sox did for Daisuke Matsuzaka, but the Devil Rays appear close to landing their own promising Japanese import, infielder Akinori Iwamura.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Wainwright appears more likely to be penciled into the rotation — Tony La Russa came to St. Louis brandishing what he argues is an impromptu legal document that binds the biggest name left on the free agent market to the Cardinals' unfinished pitching rotation. — It works only if "signed" is used loosely.
Bob Duffy / Boston Globe:
Lugo hopes to hit it big — He finds Fenway a welcome sight — Secret agents have aroused more attention than Julio Lugo's arrival in Boston did. — But that didn't make him any less welcome to the Red Sox, who introduced the shortstop they've coveted for years to a thoroughly distracted media yesterday at Fenway Park.
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Baseball America:
New Law Should Eliminate Visa Issues — A bill headed to President Bush's desk is expected to make life easier for foreign minor leaguers and will allow major league organizations to bring more players into the United States. — The bill, which is expected to be signed into law before the end of the year …
Discussion:
Mariner Minors
