Top News:
Newsday:
Mets close to a deal with catcher Torrealba — Having lost out on Jorge Posada, the Mets are wasting no time in trying to close a deal with Yorvit Torrealba, and it looks like an agreement could be struck by the end of this week. — General manager Omar Minaya, spurned by Posada's decision …
Discussion:
Faith and Fear in Flushing, FanHouse, Mets Today, Kranepool Society, Can't Stop The Bleeding and New York Times
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Mets eyeing Torrealba-Castro combo — LIKE THIS STORY? — Paul Lo Duca appears out as the Mets' catcher, likely to be replaced by a tandem of Ramon Castro and Yorvit Torrealba, major-league sources say. — The Mets are expected to re-sign Castro on Wednesday, probably to a two-year deal.
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Mets get close on Ramon Castro, target Yorvit Torrealba — Backup catcher Ramon Castro neared a deal with the Mets Tuesday night, while team officials appeared to be zeroing in on a No. 1 at the position, too. With Jorge Posada headed back to the Yankees, the Mets were expected …
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:Mets Set to Make Torrealba an Offer He Can't Refuse
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout, ShysterBall, Lone Star Ball, MetsBlog.com, Mets Merized Online, FishStripes, Hot Foot and Amazin' Avenue
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Wedge named AL's top manager — Fifth-year skipper rewarded following Indians' postseason run — CLEVELAND — The American League Manager of the Year Award, in principle alone, is not an honor that suits Eric Wedge. — After all, Wedge is the guy who refuses to even walk into fair territory …
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ESPN.com:
Wedge, Melvin named top managers — NEW YORK — Eric Wedge and Bob Melvin, former backup catchers who found far more success in the dugout than on the field, were honored Wednesday as managers of the year. — Wedge became the first Cleveland manager to win the AL award …
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Nothing new on Lowell … If they have not already, a handful of teams that include the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, most prominently, are expected to make free agent Mike Lowell an offer he can't refuse in the coming days. — The Red Sox [team stats] are still in Lowell's sights …
NY Daily News:
Yankees set to bring A-Rod back - on their terms — Alex Rodriguez may be headed back to the Bronx after all — but on the Yankees' terms. — Despite all of the back-and-forth posturing between the Yankees and A-Rod' camp, the Daily News learned today that the two sides have been discussing …
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Mike Lupica / NY Daily News:
A-Rod might have staying power with Yankees — If Alex Rodriguez wants to come back to the Yankees, and there are people close to him in Miami who think he does, here is how it happens, and maybe happens soon: — He starts by going to Tampa and meeting with George Steinbrenner …
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Bullpen makeover begins with Choate — Brewers sign lefty to one-year deal, waiting on Cordero — MILWAUKEE — The Brewers signed free agent reliever Randy Choate on Wednesday, but may have to wait a while for Francisco Cordero. — Two days after making their first formal offer to Cordero …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
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Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Hunter to Dodgers just makes sense — LIKE THIS STORY? — The Dodgers are desperate for offense. They want to upgrade in center field. They need a veteran leader to mend their clubhouse. — Perhaps more than any club, they would benefit from the addition of Torii Hunter.
Tom Haudricourt / Brewers Blog:Here are the names — Among the many paragraphs trimmed …
Discussion:
Hot Foot
Pete Caldera / NorthJersey.com:
Mo has Yanks in bind — The exclusive window of negotiations between the Yankees and Mariano Rivera has slammed shut, and the iconic closer is now at large in the free agent market. — And while it's anticipated a deal will be hammered out between the two sides, there's an element of hardball at work.
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Roger Mooney / Bradenton.com:
Rays deny Crawford trade rumors — Even though Tampa Bay Rays vice president of baseball Andrew Friedman said earlier this month that there are no untouchable players on the team, the rumors out of Chicago that he is about to pull the trigger on a deal that would move Carl Crawford to the Cubs is just that, a rumor.
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Tom Krasovic / San Diego Union-Tribune:
Will frugal Padres shell out bucks? — Team checking out free-agent market — Padres CEO Sandy Alderson isn't predicting his club will spend large sums on free agents - but he said the midrevenue franchise has significant dollars to spend. The Padres, unlike many clubs …
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Tim Marchman / New York Sun:Jones Could Be Biggest Steal of Free Agent Market
Discussion:
Capitol Punishment
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
'A World Series team' — That's how Lou Piniella — who today will learn if he is Manager of the Year for '07 — sees the Cubs by '09, Gordon Wittenmyer reports — TAMPA, Fla. — For four games in 1961, Emeterio Cuesta played on the same American Legion Post 248 baseball team in Tampa …
Discussion:
GoatRiders of the Apocalypse
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Red Sox, A's Japan-bound in 2008 — Meeting marks fifth international MLB regular-season opener — NAPLES, Fla. — Major League Baseball is opening its regular season in Japan's 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome next March for the third time, it was announced on Wednesday, with the defending World Series-champion Red Sox facing the A's.
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards willing to deal Rolen — The Cardinals no longer deny the increasingly obvious: Scott Rolen is in play. — General manager John Mozeliak confirmed Tuesday meeting with Rolen's agents and discussing the Gold Glove third baseman's availability for trade during last week's GM meetings in Orlando, Fla.
Steve Gilbert / MLB.com:
Melvin named NL Manager of the Year — D-backs' manager steered his club to NL-best 90 victories — PHOENIX — Bob Melvin may downplay the role he played in getting the D-backs to a National League-best 90 wins and the playoffs this past season, but it doesn't appear that postseason awards voters are buying it.
Discussion:
Out in the Desert
