Top News:
Associated Press:
Brewers make 4-year contract offer to Suppan — GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - The Brewers have offered a four-year contract to free-agent pitcher Jeff Suppan. — The offer is for between $36 million and $40 million, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reports. — Free-agent left-hander Ted Lilly received …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers offer Suppan four-year deal — Right-hander is 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA in seven starts at Miller Park — MILWAUKEE — Jeff Suppan's agent says the veteran right-hander is just as interested in the Brewers as the Brewers are in him. But that does not mean Suppan is ready to sign on the dotted line.
Chris Jenkins / Newsday:
Brewers Make Offer to Jeff Suppan — GREEN BAY, Wis. — NL championship series MVP Jeff Suppan has been offered a four-year contract by the Milwaukee Brewers. — "We stepped up and felt it was important to be known," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Thursday in a telephone interview …
Discussion:
A New Pirates Generation
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:Pirates sign minor-league catcher Diaz
Discussion:
Mack's Mets Notes, Mondesi's House, Bucco Wire, A New Pirates Generation and Ben Maller's Sports …
Associated Press:
Reds acquire Conine in trade with Phillies — CBS SportsLine.com wire reports — CINCINNATI — The Reds acquired Jeff Conine from the Philadelphia Phillies for a pair of minor leaguers Thursday, giving them a right-handed hitter who can share a spot at first base and play the outfield.
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Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Reds acquire Conine from Phillies — Cincinnati ships two Minor Leaguers to Philadelphia — CINCINNATI — With the Reds in pursuit of a right-handed hitter most of this offseason, several names had surfaced as potential fits — ranging from Craig Wilson to Eduardo Perez to Mark Loretta.
Chip Haunss / MLB.com:
Miadich continues to excel in Mexico — Veteran righty recording saves left and right in Winter League — Right-hander J.B. Miadich continued his excellent season with Venados de Mazatlan of the Mexican Pacific League, earning saves in his last four appearances.
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Benjamin Hill / MLB.com:
Fruto baffling hitters in winter ball — Young right-hander impressing Nats in Venezuelan league — Emiliano Fruto has been one of the best relief pitchers in the Venezuelan Winter League this season. — Pitching for the Cardenales de Lara, the right-hander is 2-1 with five saves and a 2.61 ERA over 19 appearances.
Discussion:
The Beltway Boys
Benjamin Hill / MLB.com:
Nunez sharpening skills in winter ball — Veteran infielder expected to be key member of Phils in '07 — After eight seasons with the Pirates and one with the Cardinals, 2006 marked Abraham Nunez's first campaign as a member of the Phillies. The Dominican infielder started the year as a bench player …
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Cabrera delays Winter League plans — All-Star's grandmother passes away, will decide when to play — MIAMI — Since being called up to the big leagues in 2003, Miguel Cabrera has continued to spend part of his offseason playing Winter League ball in his native Venezuela.
Associated Press:
Sammy Sosa begins training for return to big leagues — SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Sammy Sosa began training Thursday in hopes of returning to the major leagues. — "I feel like I did when I was a rookie," Sosa told The Associated Press. "I have a lot of spirit and a desire to return.
Mychael Urban / MLB.com:
A's invite Durazo to Spring Training — Slugger returning to Oakland, will compete for roster spot — OAKLAND — Erubiel Durazo, whom A's general manager Billy Beane called his personal "Holy Grail" after acquiring him in a three-team trade at the 2002 Winter Meetings, will be back in green and gold come spring.
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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Gonzalez trade talks find obstacles — No match yet with Yankees, Braves, Red Sox — By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — Mike Gonzalez to ... nowhere? — The Pirates' attempts to trade their closer for a left-handed power hitter appear to have hit a dry patch on all of the most prominent fronts.
USA Today:
Ripken is a 100% Hall of Famer — On the night of Sept. 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. saved baseball. — The game was flickering when the Baltimore Orioles shortstop broke Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played. — None of us at Camden Yards that night realized how important the new Ironman's feat would be.
Matt Schudel / Washington Post:
Cecil Travis; Washington Senators Legend — Cecil Travis, a sweet-swinging infielder with the Washington Senators in the 1930s and '40s, whose stellar career was interrupted by World War II, died Dec. 16 of congestive heart failure at his farm in Riverdale, Ga. He was 93 and was one of the oldest surviving former Senators.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Boras says he's working with Epstein to finalize Drew — NEW YORK —J.D. Drew's agent said the outfielder doesn't have any physical ailments that would prevent his contract with the Boston Red Sox from being finalized. — Scott Boras, who represents Drew, reached a preliminary agreement …
Discussion:
The Feeding the Monster Blog
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Fox Sports:
Bonds not likely to break Aaron's mark in '07 — So Barry Bonds is back with the San Francisco Giants. — His decision to re-up with his hometown team (one year, $16 million) means he'll be in a Giants' uniform for a 15th season. That, in turn, means that Bonds will join Willie McCovey …
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Dave Studeman / Hardball Times:
Where We're At — It's a good time of the year to say thank you. Thank you for supporting us, reading our articles, giving us feedback, perusing our stats, linking to us, buying our Annual, etc. This gig would be no fun without you, that's for sure. It seems as though we're providing something some of you folks appreciate.
