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” …
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.
Discussion:
Camden Chat, Associated Press, MLB Trade Rumors, Sports Illustrated and The Chuck Knoblog
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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.
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:Pirates, Wright agree to minor-league contract
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.
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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Associated Press:
Red Sox to wear uniform ads for games in Japan — TOKYO — The Boston Red Sox are putting advertisements on their uniforms for the first time. — The World Series champions said Wednesday they will wear sleeve patches with the logo “EMC” when they open the season with a two-game series …
Nick Piecoro / Arizona Republic:
D-Backs set to make Foulke offer — Representatives from more than 20 teams watched former major league reliever Keith Foulke throw off a mound last week in Tempe. The Diamondbacks were among them, and they seem to have been adequately impressed to pursue the former All-Star closer.
Discussion:
MLB Fleece Factor
Sarah Talalay / Sun-Sentinel:
Auto dealer Braman files legal challenge to Marlins stadium plan — Luxury auto dealer Norman Braman filed a legal challenge Wednesday to a plan to fund $3 billion worth of projects in the city of Miami, including a Marlins ballpark at the site of the Orange Bowl.
Discussion:
FishStripes
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
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 …
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
MacPhail checks swing in first offseason — With spring training looming, O's president takes a lot of pitches for Bedard, Roberts — Three weeks from today, pitchers and catchers will take the field at Fort Lauderdale Stadium for the Orioles' first workout of the spring.
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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