Top News:
Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
Williams on ball with Hall signing — Sometimes small moves can be important ones. That figures to be the case with the White Sox's signing of backup catcher Toby Hall on Sunday, which completed a productive weekend for general manager Ken Williams. — Hall, 31, had been Tampa Bay's primary catcher …
Discussion:
South Side Sox
RELATED:
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Sox bring catcher Hall aboard — Free agent comes to terms on two-year deal with club option — CHICAGO — At the conclusion of Saturday afternoon's conference call to announce the acquisition of left-handed reliever Andrew Sisco from Kansas City, Ken Williams hinted at another White Sox transaction soon to come.
Dave van Dyck / Chicago Tribune:
Sox pick up a catcher — The White Sox filled their troublesome backup catcher spot by signing veteran Toby Hall to a two-year, $3.65 million contract Sunday. — Hall, 31, played for the Devil Rays and Dodgers last season but became a free agent when he was not offered a contract in Los Angeles.
MLB.com:
White Sox and Toby Hall agree to terms on two-year contract with club option for 2009 — CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox and free-agent catcher Toby Hall have agreed to terms on a two-year, $3.65-million contract with a club option for 2009. Under terms of the deal, Hall will receive base salaries …
ESPN:
Report: Drew to get second opinion Monday — Are the Red Sox having second thoughts on signing J.D. Drew? They at least want a second opinion on the outfielder's physical exam results, The Boston Globe reported Sunday. — Drew is scheduled to have a second opinion Monday on a shoulder issue …
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Nick Cafardo / Extra Bases:
Second opinion on Drew — J.D. Drew was scheduled to receive a second opinion Monday on a shoulder issue the Red Sox have concerns about, according to a major league source familiar with Drew's condition. — The red flag went up after the Sox right-fielder underwent a physical in Boston …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Yahoo! Sports:
Sportsticker Baseball Notebook — When you examine the numerous stories of Daisuke Matsuzaka signing with the Boston Red Sox, just remember one thing - the devil always is in the details. — As an example, the last paragraph of the team's press release announcing the signing of Matsuzaka to a six-year contract read as follows:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Marcus Giles close to joining Padres — The Giles family reunion is on. — Free-agent second baseman Marcus Giles is expected to sign with the Padres early this week, joining his older brother, right fielder Brian Giles, FOXSports.com has learned. — Marcus, 28, likely will agree to a one-year deal and possibly a club option.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Yankees are just one of Pirates' options with Gonzalez — Team sees Braves, Red Sox in trade mix, too — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — Whether Mike Gonzalez opens the 2007 season with a tomahawk across his chest or draped in pinstripes, this much is certain: His profile has been raised quite a bit this offseason.
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
O's agree to terms on one-year deal with Gomez … The Orioles have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with utility man Chris Gomez, who will return for his third season in Baltimore. — Gomez hit .341 last season with two home runs and 17 RBIs in 55 games last season.
Discussion:
Camden Chat
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Hot Stove: Pirates turning to Japanese — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — The Pirates' ongoing pursuit of Masumi Kuwata probably deserves something more than a tiny-type footnote in franchise lore, even if it ends up fruitless. — Sure, he is a 38-year-old starter whose most recent respectable season came in 2002.
Discussion:
The Parrot
RELATED:
Sam Mellinger / Kansas City Star:Some think Japanese bidding system for players should be explored here in U.S.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Bill Center / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Brocail coming back against all odds — Doug Brocail is returning to the Padres next season - once he completes a physical examination. — And given Brocail's 2006 season, that will be a significant milestone for the 39-year-old right-handed relief pitcher. — Brocail had two angioplastys last spring.
Discussion:
NY Mets Blog
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
High stakes for holidays — Baseball's big-money game starts the offseason merry-go-round spinning wildly — Like Santa's belt, baseball lost elasticity this winter. Teams viewed free agents much as Mr. T does gold chains or Paris Hilton does shame. There is no such thing as too much.
Discussion:
Purple Row
T.J. Quinn / NY Daily News:
Here's the deal — Why Giants put stock in Bonds — From his corner of the Giants' clubhouse last April, the area he forbids the press from entering, Barry Bonds waded forward though the cameras and microphones and said to a team public relations assistant, "Go get Peter Magowan."
Discussion:
The Griddle
Todd Zolecki / Philly.com:
Baseball stats guru sees good in Phillies, even Burrell — It seems everybody who has read Michael Lewis' Moneyball, the tale of how general manager Billy Beane turned the low-paying Oakland A's into a winning team, became a baseball expert because they understood the importance of on-base percentage.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
