Top News:
New York Times:
Canseco Is Said to Have Sought Favor to Omit Name — José Canseco, the former major league slugger and admitted steroid user who exposed other players in his 2005 best-selling book “Juiced,” offered to keep a Detroit Tigers outfielder “clear” in his next book if the player invested money …
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Wright treks to dedicate Mets room — Discusses team's chances during charity stop in Long Island — NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. — The Mets have added some players, subtracted some others, and now stand awfully close to where they were when this offseason began.
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Bart Hubbuch / New York Post:
NO SYMPATHY FOR LO DUCA — WRIGHT WARY OF PAL'S STERIOD RAP — Close friends or not, David Wright has no sympathy for Paul Lo Duca if what the Mitchell Report says is true. — Speaking at a charity event in New Hyde Park, Wright yesterday said his ex-Mets teammate deserves “a harsh penalty” …
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Wright weighs in on steroid discussion — Third baseman believes drug usage in baseball is 'behind us' — NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. — David Wright's squeaky clean image is often the first thing to preclude him from discussions of baseball's problems. Rumors of steroids — or anything like them …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
ESPN.com:
Yankees again set payroll record: $218.3 million — NEW YORK — The Yankees did finish first in something last year — spending. — While their streak of AL East titles ended at nine, the Yankees wound up with a record payroll of $218.3 million. — The World Series champion Boston Red Sox …
Discussion:
Caffeinated Confines, MLB Fleece Factor, Sliding Into Home, River Ave. Blues, Hot Foot and MY BASEBALL BIAS
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Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Rincon lands Minor League contract — Reliever gets Spring Training invite, looks to return to Majors — NEW YORK — The Mets extended an invitation to their big league Spring Training camp to veteran relief pitcher Ricardo Rincon on Wednesday after the left-handed specialist had signed a Minor League contract with them.
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Associated Press:
Wright, Bucs agree to Minor League deal — PITTSBURGH — Oft-injured pitcher Jaret Wright and the Pirates agreed on a Minor League contract Wednesday with an invitation to Spring Training. — Wright, a 15-game winner for Atlanta in 2004, had a 6.97 ERA while losing all three games he started for Baltimore last season.
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates, Wright agree to minor-league contract — The Pirates have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract with Jaret Wright, a right-handed starter who pitched for the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees before shoulder soreness cost him most of last season.
Discussion:
iYankees
ESPN.com:
Feds unable to locate, serve Knoblauch subpoena — WASHINGTON — Former major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch had not been tracked down as of early Wednesday evening by federal marshals trying to serve him a subpoena from a House panel investigating steroids in baseball, a committee staffer told The Associated Press.
Sports Illustrated:
Meet the Mets — Former darkhorse takes the lead in Santana derby — Once written off as an extreme long shot in the long-running Johan Santana drama, the Mets may actually be the favorite now. At the very least, there are indications now that they are engaging in more regular dialogue …
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Mark Gonzales / Chicago Tribune:White Sox GM Williams' work is far from done
Discussion:
MLB Fleece Factor
Daniel Cancel / New York Times:
Santana's Hometown Awaits His Next Move — TOVAR, Venezuela — “Welcome to the territory of Johan Santana,” reads a sign on the wall of the local baseball field in this Andean town more than 6,400 feet above sea level in southwestern Venezuela. — Santana, the Minnesota Twins' ace and perhaps …
Tracy Ringolsby / Fox Sports:
New faces aplenty in NL Central — The NL Central underwent a major off-season makeover. There are new GMs in St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Houston. There are new managers in Houston, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. There are new players on all six rosters. — It's not like any of the six division members were tampering with success.
Discussion:
Blue Collar Baseball
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Rays ink Shields to long-term deal — Contract guaranteed for four years with three one-year options — ST. PETERSBURG — James Shields is going to be with the Rays for a long time. — As expected Wednesday afternoon, the Rays announced at a news conference they had signed …
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Phil Hughes / The Phil Hughes Weblog:
Chat Answers.... Thanks to everyone for submitting so many great questions. Wish I could get to all of em. — zellyanks91 asked: Phil...What goes on in the Yankees clubhouse before and after games..of course the media is there asking questions..but what do you guys do? — It's pretty laid back for the most part.
Discussion:
MY BASEBALL BIAS
