Top News:
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Yankees might pull out of Santana talks for good … NASHVILLE — With the Yankee's self-imposed deadline approaching, the Twins and Yankees were getting nowhere Monday night in their attempt to complete a deal for Johan Santana. So the Yankees were again making noises that they might pull out of the Santana talks for good.
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …, WasWatching.com, A Red Sox Fan …, MetsBlog.com, NJ.com, Hot Foot and New York Times
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Sports Illustrated:
Yanks, Twins at 'impasse' — Minnesota resumes Santana trade talks with BoSox — NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With the Yankees and Twins making limited progress as the Yanks' self-imposed midnight deadline came and went, the Twins rekindled talks with the Red Sox early Tuesday and asked Boston …
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Pettitte Returns, Giving Yanks Lefty They Need — The Yankees came to the winter meetings hoping to land a veteran left-hander for the top of their rotation. As the meetings began here Monday morning, they got one. But it was not Johan Santana. — Andy Pettitte informed the Yankees that he would return to play for them in 2008.
Barry Svrluga / Washington Post:
Nationals Acquire Troubled Dukes — The Washington Nationals began baseball's winter meetings Monday with a dramatic and potentially controversial move, trading for troubled Tampa Bay outfielder Elijah Dukes, a 23-year-old whose skills are undisputed but whose long and varied list of legal issues sent his standing in the game tumbling.
RELATED:
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:Nats acquire Dukes from Tampa Bay
Discussion:
Capitol Punishment, Associated Press, MLB.com, Nationals Farm Authority, Bucs Dugout, Baseball Musings and Rays Index
David Andriesen / Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Mariners' pursuit of Hiroki Kuroda hits snag — Japanese pitcher's advisers may push him elsewhere — NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Mariners didn't get the No. 1 guy on the market, but they are still in the running for the No. 1 guy on their list. — The first day of baseball's winter meetings …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:Buzz: Mets work with O's on Bedard
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors, Mets Fever, MLB Rumors, Global New York Mets Fan Blog and The Ropolitans
Ken Rosenthal / Fox Sports:
Sources: Royals, Guillen closing in on deal — LIKE THIS STORY? — NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Royals, plunging into the free-agent market for the second straight year, are working toward an agreement with outfielder Jose Guillen, according to major-league sources.
Discussion:
MLB.com, Kansas City Star, MetsBlog.com, MLB Trade Rumors, Royals Authority, MLB Rumors and Hot Foot
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Enrique Rojas / ESPN:
Source: Royals, Guillen agree to preliminary 3-year, $36M deal … NASHVILLE — Outfielder Jose Guillen and the Kansas City Royals have reached a preliminary agreement for a three year, $36 million deal, a relative of the ballplayer told ESPNdeportes.com. — The agreement will be complete …
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Notes: Kearns could be on the move — Outfielder may be traded to deepen Nats' starting rotation — NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nationals general manager Jim Bowden said on Monday that there will be four players — Wily Mo Pena, Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes and Austin Kearns …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Mets Fever, Nationals Farm Authority, MLB Trade Rumors and Capitol Punishment
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Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Santana and Yankees are close but not yet joined — NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Monday evening bore down on The Steinbrenner Deadline, or the moment the Minnesota Twins supposedly will no longer be allowed to unload the best left-hander in baseball on the New York Yankees, and baseball's winter meetings began to skew even more toward pitching.
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San Francisco Chronicle:
Haren doesn't want trade — (12-03) 04:00 PST Nashville — Like nearly everyone else in baseball, A's starter Dan Haren is monitoring the Johan Santana trade rumors. In Haren's case, however, the pricey Santana's destination could determine Haren's place of employment.
Rob Bradford / Bradford Files:
Lobby blogging: The Francona Rule — Red Sox manager Terry Francona officially has a rule named after him. — "There's going to be, for lack of a better term, a 'Francona Rule,'" said Bob Watson, Major League Baseball's Vice President of Rules and On-Field Operations. "You can only wear your uniform top or jacket.
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Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Braves seeking lefty reliever, outfielder — Affeldt, Mahay, Finley likely too expensive for Atlanta — NASHVILLE, Tenn. — None of the early whispers heard throughout the spacious Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center on Monday afternoon provided indication that the Braves are close …
Discussion:
Chop-n-Change
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Joe Hamrahi / Baseball Digest Daily:
The New Look Dodgers...An Interview with Ned Colletti — When I spoke with Ned Colletti back in January, he had only been General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers for about 14 months. He had just watched his team finish a season with 88 victories and earn a Wild Card berth in the 2006 playoffs.
Discussion:
6-4-2
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Rolen is star of trade talks — NASHVILLE, TENN. — There was a former Cardinals World Series-winning manager elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame here on Monday. It just wasn't the one many expected. — Whitey Herzog, who directed the Cardinals to the 1982, 1985 and 1987 National League pennants …
Curt Schilling / 38 Pitches:
Santana? — A rotation featuring Beckett, Santana as the top two is pretty much as good as it can get. The thought of pitching behind these guys has to fire ya up. That being said I look at it like this. — If we make the move we'll have done so with Theo knowing whatever he had to trade …
