Top News:
Joel Sherman / New York Post:
Yankees plotting to keep Damon, Pettitte, Matsui — CHICAGO — The Yankees are strategizing ways to retain all three of their major free agents — Johnny Damon, Andy Pettitte and Hideki Matsui — sources told The Post. — Damon and Pettitte are the priorities.
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Adam Rubin / Surfing The Mets:
Holliday, Bay bidding may surpass Mets' appetite — Omar Minaya arrived at the GM Meetings at the O'Hare Hilton on Monday night maintaining it was his obligation to investigate the price tags of top-tier free agents. However, a team insider told the Daily News he expected that the salary demands …
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Executives chime in on offseason topics — Sign Holliday or Bay? Should instant replay be expanded? And where will Lackey land? — ESPN.com — CHICAGO — Major League Baseball general managers have a demanding job marked by long hours, stifling pressure and constant second-guessing.
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:Omar Minaya on slugging, and Kenny Williams on Hideki Matsui
Discussion:
Unfiltered
Adam Hirshfield / NESN.com:
Jason Varitek to Exercise Player Option, Will Stay With Red Sox — The Red Sox declined to exercise their $5 million team option on catcher Jason Varitek on Monday, but that doesn't mean the longtime captain will be leaving Boston. — NESN learned on Monday night that the 37-year-old Varitek …
Discussion:
Full Count, SOX & Dawgs, Red Sox Monster, MLB Rumors, Circling The Bases, Over the Monster, Babes Love Baseball and MetsBlog.com
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Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Varitek still waiting — Just spoke to Theo Epstein. Contrary to a report, Jason Varitek has not yet exercised his $3 million player option for 2010. At least as far as the Sox know. — As Epstein correctly pointed out, Scott Boras usually pushes such decisions until the deadline.
Discussion:
MLB FanHouse
Rob Bradford / Full Count:Wakefield, Sox Agree on New Two-Year Deal
Discussion:
Boston Globe, SOX & Dawgs, Over the Monster, Yawkey Way Academy, MLB Rumors and MLB Daily Dish
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Unloading Milton Bradley without paying steep price won't be easy for Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry — Even if Cubs eat salary, Hendry may struggle to find taker for OF — Cubs general manager Jim Hendr shakes hands with Milton Bradley. (M. Spencer Green, Associated Press / January 8, 2009)
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Howard Megdal / MLB Rumors:Bradley Being Discussed In Three-Way Deal
Discussion:
Mike Silva's …, GoatRiders of the Apocalypse, MLB.com, Mets Today, Kranepool Society and Can't Stop The Bleeding
Fred Mitchell / Chicago Breaking Sports:Cubs' Billy Williams: Don't give up on Milton Bradley
Discussion:
MVN
Ed Price / MLB FanHouse:
MLB Free-Agent Compensation ‘Elias Rankings’ Released — CHICAGO — The annual Elias rankings are out, determining which free agents could result in draft-pick compensation for their former teams. — Free agents are classified as Type A, Type B or not at all.
Discussion:
Seattle Times, FanGraphs Baseball, MLB Rumors, AaronGleeman.com, A Die Hard Yankees Fan, Hot Foot, Yahoo! Sports, Bronx Baseball Daily, DRaysBay, Lookout Landing, U.S.S. Mariner, Texas Rangers, Fack Youk, River Avenue Blues, Sliding Into Home, Circling The Bases, Hardball Times, Pinstripe Alley and Replacement Level …
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Mark Cuban says he'd be interested in buying the Dodgers — Cuban says he'd base a decision on his ability to buy a controlling share as part of an ownership group. The Dodgers are not for sale, but the McCourt divorce raises questions about team's future.
Discussion:
Circling The Bases, Dodger Divorce, MLB FanHouse, True Blue LA and Memories Of Kevin Malone
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Maybin's shoulder surgery a success — Center fielder expected to be ready by Spring Training — MIAMI — Down the stretch, Cameron Maybin was hindered by a sore left shoulder. — The Marlins center fielder addressed the issue on Monday. — Maybin, 22, underwent surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
David Waldstein / Bats:
Yanks' Cashman Won't Be Swayed — CHICAGO - Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman made it clear Monday that even if Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon had gone 20 for 20 in the World Series with 10 home runs apiece, it would not change the team's thinking about how it would deal with the two impending free agents.
Tom Singer / MLB.com:
DuPuy: MLB competitive balance working — President/COO pleased with progress, says more to be done — Bob DuPuy, Major League Baseball's president and chief operating officer, spoke about the sport's “enormous competitive balance” on an ESPN radio appearance Monday morning.
Discussion:
Circling The Bases
Joe Frisaro / MLB.com:
Marlins giving Penn another look — With righty's addition, Florida's 40-man roster at 34 — MIAMI — The Marlins are planning on taking another look at right-hander Hayden Penn. — The team on Monday announced it had selected the contract of the 25-year-old, who spent most of the season at Triple-A New Orleans.
Discussion:
Bottom9 Baseball
Pizza Cutter / Hardball Times:
The triumph of Moneyball — Is there a word in the baseball lexicon that can start an argument faster than Moneyball? It's not really a word, if you think about it, but then neither is the only other thing that springs to mind: DH. It's odd that a book not called “The Bible” …
Larry Stone / Seattle Times:
Time to bring Ken Griffey Jr. back in 2010 — All signs are pointing to Ken Griffey Jr. signing for another season in Seattle. Why not? — Just bring him back. — Ken Griffey Jr.'s future will likely be decided in the next few days, as agent Brian Goldberg resumes discussions with the Mariners.
Discussion:
Hardball Times
