Top News:
Sports Illustrated:
Let's make a deal — Mets closing in on six-year contract with Santana — Johan Santana and the Mets continue to make progress on a record-setting contract that is expected to make the two-time Cy Young winner a $150-million man, SI.com has learned. People with knowledge of the talks …
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Sources: Santana extension talks stuck on number of guaranteed years … The Mets and Johan Santana's agents continued to negotiate furiously Friday, as a 5 p.m. ET deadline to complete terms of a long-term contract bore down on them. — And as that deadline drew nearer …
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
News: Two More Hours — The Mets have been granted an additional two hours to negotiate a contract extension with Johan Santana. … RSS 2.0 You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
New York Post:
TANGO FOR CA$H — METS, ARE STILL TALKING PRICE — The Mets and Johan Santana's agent agree the ace must be made the highest-paid pitcher ever. The only question appears to be how high the final number will reach before today's deadline strikes. — With a deadline of 5 p.m. today …
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Mets, Santana close to record deal — The Mets and Johan Santana are closing in on a record-setting deal that will make Santana a Met for a long time. — With today's 5 o'clock deadline looming, “They're going to get it done,” one person close to the situation said, on the condition of anonymity.
ESPN:
Casey joins Red Sox by signing one-year contract … BOSTON — First baseman Sean Casey has signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Boston Red Sox, according to ESPN's Peter Gammons. — Casey hit. 296 in 143 games last season with Detroit. He is a career .301 hitter in 11 major league seasons.
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Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Casey to Sox in one-year deal — The Red Sox today agreed to one-year, $800,000 deal with lefthanded hitting first baseman Sean Casey, pending a physical. — Casey will serve primarily in a backup role to Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis. Casey is known as “the mayor” …
Discussion:
Peter's Red Sox Forever, SOX & Dawgs, A Red Sox Fan …, Hot Stove New York and Over the Monster
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Marlins-Mets P.R. series talks revived — Both clubs would play in San Juan in a three-game set in July — MIAMI — Discussed and dismissed before, talks have resumed about the Florida Marlins possibly calling San Juan, Puerto Rico, home for a three-game series.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
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Joe Capozzi / Palm Beach Post:Marlins land Gonzalez to fill leadership role
Discussion:
FishStripes
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Looking for a major-league job? Stand in line … NEWS ITEM: Nation's Unemployment Rate Hits 2-Year High — Yes, America's unemployment problem remains big news, all right. — But Mark Sweeney's unemployment problem? Not so big news. — Ditto the continued joblessness of Doug Mientkiewicz.
Associated Press:
Mets avoid arbitration with Feliciano — NEW YORK — Left-handed reliever Pedro Feliciano and the New York Mets avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing Friday to a one-year, $1,025,000 contract. — A key member of the Mets' bullpen, Feliciano was 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA and two saves in 78 appearances last season.
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Seattle Mariners — Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible.
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Twins show interest in signing Fogg — The winter free-agent market is starting to thaw for Josh Fogg. The Minnesota Twins contacted Fogg's agent Thursday, and appear serious about adding the veteran right-hander if the Johan Santana deal goes through with the New York Mets.
Keith / The dish:
Farm Systems, Ranked, Sorta. — So everyone's asking me for a ranking of farm systems. This just a very rough cut, and if anything, I'm overvaluing my top 100 as an input to this, so take it for what it's worth. — 1. Tampa Bay — 2. Texas — 3. Boston — 4. Cincinnati — 5. NY Yankees
Duff Wilson / New York Times:
Knoblauch Talks to House Panel — WASHINGTON — Chuck Knoblauch emerged from 90 minutes of closed-door testimony to congressional oversight staff on Friday smiling, carrying his 3-year-old son, and saying he wanted to do his part to clean up drugs in baseball.
Tracy Ringolsby / Rocky Mountain News:
NL questions are plentiful — Adding Dan Haren to a pitching staff led by Brandon Webb gives Arizona as strong a 1-2 as any team in baseball. — What the Diamondbacks are waiting to find out is whether Randy Johnson, at age 44, can bounce back from his third back operation and fill the No. 3 slot.
