Top News:
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Mets agree to terms with Santana — Club to ink ace southpaw to lucrative contract extension — NEW YORK — An offseason that had been all about who wasn't on the Mets' roster has executed an about-face and now is distinctive because of who almost certainly will be.
RELATED:
Mets Blog:
Mets give Johan $150.75 million — It took an extension to get the extension done. But it got done, and now Feb. 1, 2008 will go down as one of the most glorious days in Mets history. — Because that is the day the Mets overcame the last significant hurdle to assure Johan Santana would be their ace.
NY Daily News:
Lupica: Easy to see why Mets think Santana is final piece — PHOENIX - You can win because of this trade. And if that is true, if Johan Santana puts the Mets over the way Curt Schilling put the Red Sox over the first time and then Josh Beckett put the Red Sox over this time …
Howard Ulman / Associated Press:
AP INTERVIEW: Red Sox manager glad Santana headed out of AL — BOSTON—Terry Francona sat in Fenway Park's quiet visitors clubhouse, a room where Johan Santana won't be sitting unless the Red Sox and Mets meet in the World Series. — No wonder Boston's skipper smiled.
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:News: Two More Hours — The Mets have been granted an additional …
Discussion:
Twinkie Town
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates, Sanchez close to agreement on three-year deal — Burnett taken off roster but likely to stay in system — The Pirates and Freddy Sanchez are close to agreement on a three-year contract and could have a deal early next week. — Such a contract would allow the team …
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Anthony Andro / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Kinsler, Rangers talk about long-term deal — ARLINGTON — Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler hopes he and the club can come to an agreement on a new, long-term contract. — There's still work to be done in getting there. — “It's a matter of coming to an agreement and trying to reach the right number …
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Chance to work with Ryan excites Texas Rangers' Daniels — GM says ex-Rangers' experience would be boost to team's future — egrant@dallasnews.com — Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Friday he's excited about the possibility of working with Nolan Ryan if Ryan comes aboard as the club's president.
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Yankees Spring Training quick hits — 2007 record — Projected batting order — 1. LF Johnny Damon: — .270 BA, .351 OBP, .396 SLG, 12 HRs, 63 RBIs in 2007 — 2. SS Derek Jeter: — .322 BA, .388 OBP, .452 SLG, 12 HRs, 73 RBIs in 2007 — 3. RF Bobby Abreu:
Discussion:
Bombers Beat
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Yanks' newest arrival: Competition — Handful of positions have no front-runner entering spring camp — NEW YORK — Open competition has not necessarily been a hallmark of Yankees Spring Trainings, where most roster jobs are usually doled out by Feb. 14 in the form of guaranteed big league contracts.
Discussion:
NJ.com
Gordon Edes / Boston Globe:
Casey to be at the bat — Sox agree to terms with veteran, who will back up Youkilis — Sean Casey, who lost his job as Detroit's everyday first baseman when the Tigers elected to move sore-kneed Carlos Guillen from shortstop to first, will be coming to the Red Sox as a backup to Kevin Youkilis and as a lefthanded bat off the bench.
David Pinto / Baseball Musings:
Team Offense, Los Angeles Dodgers — We continue to look at team offenses for 2008 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. … In 2007, the Dodgers scored 4.54 runs per game. — I plugged in a likely lineup to the Lineup Analysis Tool, using the Marcel the Monkey predictions from Tom Tango.
Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Reds sign Sauerbeck, Bako — Veterans agree to Minor League deals with spring invites — Nine years after beginning his Major League career in Pittsburgh, left-hander Scott Sauerbeck is trying to make his way back home. — The Cincinnati native and veteran reliever has signed …
Discussion:
MLB Trade Rumors
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
Cards look internally for leadoff man — Manager La Russa prizes on-base percentage at top of order — ST. LOUIS — In one form or another, satisfactorily or not, the Cardinals did check off just about every item from their offseason shopping list this winter. They added a starting pitcher in Matt Clement.
Nate Silver / Unfiltered:
PECOTA's Back — Just a very quick note: the 2008 PECOTA weighted means spreadsheets are available for download here. We've already run almost 1,900 forecasts, including (for the first time) players selected in last June's amateur draft. — The PECOTA cards themselves are still …
