Top News:
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 …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, MLB Rumors, Amazin' Avenue, Mets Today, 24 Hours From Suicide, TedQuarters.net and MVN
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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.
Newsday:
The Mets, Roy Halladay, Matt Holliday and Pat Burrell — Wanted to quickly check in... The Mets will speak with the Blue Jays about the possibility of a Roy Halladay trade, just as they did last summer. While they know they're not the favorites, they're encouraged - somewhat, at least - by history.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:Omar Minaya on slugging, and Kenny Williams on Hideki Matsui
Discussion:
Unfiltered
Tom Singer / MLB.com:
Ichiro, Hunter win ninth Gold Gloves — Jeter returns to winning award for first time since 2006 — The American League Gold Glove winners, unveiled on Tuesday, showcase the cream of the league's defensive excellence, the ooh-and-aah squad. — The dive-and-spin, dirty-uniform parade began …
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T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Andrus eyes pair of award trophies — Rangers shortstop in hunt for AL Gold Glove, ROY — ARLINGTON — Elvis Andrus is going to find out over the next week just how rewarding his rookie season was with the Rangers. — The 2009 American League Gold Glove team will be announced on Tuesday …
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.
Discussion:
The iYankees Blog, Fack Youk, bronxbanterblog.com, Seattle Times, A Die Hard Yankees Fan and Sliding Into Home
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Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:Yankees' Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon are free agents, but aren't gone just yet
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
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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ESPN:
Type A positive (and negative) — For years, the Elias Sports Bureau rankings that determined what kind of draft-pick compensation would be attached to free agents meant nothing to some teams. For many executives, a gained or lost pick meant little, so the rankings had little impact on the players involved.
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Ed Price / MLB FanHouse:MLB Free-Agent Compensation ‘Elias Rankings’ Released
Discussion:
Rays Index, Seattle Times, AaronGleeman.com, MLB Rumors, FanGraphs Baseball, Bronx Baseball Daily, YanksBlog.com, A Die Hard Yankees Fan, Yahoo! Sports, Hot Foot, lenNY's Yankees, Lookout Landing, U.S.S. Mariner, DRaysBay, Fack Youk, Pinstripe Alley, River Avenue Blues, Texas Rangers, Hardball Times, Circling The Bases, Sliding Into Home and Replacement Level …
Fox Sports:
Latest buzz from MLB's GM meetings — CHICAGO - The World Series may still be fresh in your mind, but MLB GMs are already focusing on next season. Thankfully, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi are on the ground in Chicago with all the latest gossip and buzz. Note: All times listed are ET.
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Chris De Luca / Inside the White Sox:Williams says no on Figgins deal; source says Pods talks back on
Discussion:
Circling The Bases
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, Memories Of Kevin Malone, True Blue LA and MLB FanHouse
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Joe Smith / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays exercise Carl Crawford's $10 million option — Carl Crawford, a three-time All-Star coming off arguably his best season, has said he's willing to talk about a long-term contract with the Rays. — Times] — ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays' decision Monday to lock …
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 …
Jim Salisbury / Philly.com:
Phils still in the running for Halladay — CHICAGO - Ruben Amaro Jr. arrived at the annual general managers' meetings late this afternoon and listed his priorities for upgrading his team this off-season. — “Third base, bullpen, bench,” the Phillies' GM said in the lobby of the O'Hare Hilton, where the meetings run through tomorrow.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation, The Big Lead, The Good Phight, Circling The Bases, MetsBlog.com and MLB Rumors
Greg Spira / Baseball Prospectus:
The 2009 Internet Baseball Awards — NL Results and Wrap-Up — It's that time of year when we announce the winners of the 18th annual Internet Baseball Awards. More than 1,200 baseball fans from cyberspace participated in this effort to honor those players and managers whose performances in 2009 were most deserving.
Discussion:
Bless You Boys
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Are the Sox planning a spending spree? — So we're talking to Theo Epstein Monday afternoon and he mentions that restructuring Tim Wakefield's deal will save the Sox $1.5 million on the CBT, which is GM-speak for the payroll luxury tax, or collective bargaining tax.

