Top News:
Rob Bradford / Full Count:
Cora close to deal with Mets — According to a source familiar with the negotiations, former Red Sox infielder Alex Cora is close to a one-year deal with a vesting option for second with the New York Mets. The deal, which would guarantee the 34-year-old the same $2 million he made in '09 during …
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Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Mets re-sign Cora, ink catcher Coste — Infielder returns on one-year deal; backstop on 40-man roster — Veteran infielder Alex Cora and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal on Monday, according to two people familiar with the negotiations said The Associated Press.
Howard Megdal / MLB Rumors:
Mets Sign Chris Coste — The Fargo-Moorehead Forum's Jeff Kolpack has confirmed a report by New York Baseball Digest's Joe DeMayo that the Mets have signed Chris Coste, a Fargo native, to a contract. — Coste told the Forum that the Mets gave him a guarantee of being placed on the 40-man roster …
Associated Press:
Mets, Cora agree to 1-year deal — NEW YORK — Alex Cora is staying with the New York Mets, agreeing to a $2 million, one-year contract. — Details of the infielder's deal were revealed Monday by two people familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the Mets had not yet formally announced it.
Discussion:
Seven Train to Shea Mets Blog
Sports Illustrated:
SI's Sportsman Of The Year: Derek Jeter … In what has already been a banner year for Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees shortstop can add another honor: Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year award. Jeter was chosen as the magazine's 56th honoree (the Dec. 7 issue will hit newsstands on Wednesday) …
Discussion:
New York Post, yankeesdaily.com, Bugs & Cranks, Yahoo! Sports, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Bats, New York Yankees Fan Blog, Baseball & The Boogie Down, USATODAY.com Sports News, Heartland Pinstripes, Zell's Pinstripe Blog, YanksBlog.com, Fack Youk, My Pinstripes, A Die Hard Yankees Fan, MLB FanHouse, The Yankee Universe, River Avenue Blues, Subway Squawkers, Sliding Into Home, 3:10 To Joba and lenNY's Yankees
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Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Jeter named SI's Sportsman of the Year — Yankees captain lauded for performance, community work — NEW YORK — Derek Jeter's ultimate goal for the 2009 season has already been fulfilled, having had the opportunity to hoist the World Series championship trophy into the sky on a chilly November evening in the Bronx.
Discussion:
Sox and Pinstripes
MLB.com:
2009 Postseason Shares Announced — A full postseason share for the 2009 World Series Champion New York Yankees totaled a record $365,052.73, while a full share for the National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies amounted to $265,357.50, Major League Baseball announced today.
Discussion:
This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes
Erik Boland / Newsday:Yankees mull arbitration offers; Pettitte logical
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Brewers weigh arbitration decisions — Milwaukee unlikely to extend offers to five eligible players — MILWAUKEE — Brewers officials met Monday afternoon to make final decisions, but it appeared they were leaning against extending arbitration offers to any of their five compensation-eligible free agents …
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
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Richard Sandomir / Bats:
Chip Caray and TBS Part Ways — Chip Caray's tenure as TBS's lead major league baseball announcer ended Monday when he and the cable network agreed to part ways. — Caray's high-volume style was mixed with a penchant for bad play calls, embellishments and factual errors.
Marc Carig / New Jersey Online:
NY Yankees release spring training schedule … The Yankees on Wednesday released their 33-game spring training. The defending World Series champions play the first of 16 home games on March 3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at George M. Steinbrenner field in Tampa, Fla.
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Bill Shaikin / LA Times Sports Blog:
Nick Adenhart's family gets $138,000 playoff share — The Angels' players treated Nick Adenhart as one of their own all season. They maintained his locker, carried his jersey wherever they went, poured beer and champagne atop his jersey after clinching a playoff berth.
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Sports Illustrated:
Epstein, Minaya and Boras headline this winter's movers and shakers … Everyone knows who the top players are on the free-agent and trade markets this winter: John Lackey, Matt Holiday, Jason Bay, Roy Halladay and perhaps Adrian Gonzalez. But who are the players behind the players?
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ESPN:
Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Charlie Weis fired … Saying its expectations on the field have not been met, Notre Dame fired coach Charlie Weis on Monday after five seasons. — A brash offensive coordinator with the NFL champion New England Patriots when he was hired five years ago …
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, Detroit4lyfe, The Big Lead, NESN.com and The Mighty Quinn Media Machine
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Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Pirates eye free agent Duchscherer — The Pirates are one of several teams interested in pitcher Justin Duchscherer, one of Major League Baseball's more intriguing free agents this winter. — Duchscherer, 32, made an exceptional debut as a starter in 2008 with Oakland, 10-8 with a 2.54 ERA …
Yahoo! Sports:
Mauer sets a deadline for extension talks — If the Minnesota Twins want to lock up Joe Mauer — to a contract extension, they're going to have to do it before the 2010 season begins. — Mauer plans on ending contract negotiations if a deal isn't struck by the end of spring training …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
MLB.com:
This could be the year for Dawson, Blyleven — First-timers will likely have to wait for induction — I have this nagging thought about the new Hall of Fame ballot and the 26 candidates for 2010: This could be the first year since 1996 that no one gets the necessary 75 percent of votes needed to be elected.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Arbitration Offer Predictions For Free Agents — On October 12th, I explained what it means when a free agent is offered arbitration and also made a few loose predictions. Tomorrow evening, those arbitration decisions will be upon us. As far as I can tell, there are 70 Type A/B free agents.
Boston Red Sox Blog:
Joe Castiglione, Jerry Remy among broadcasters in Baseball Hall of Fame balloting — Joe Castiglione, who is entering his 30th year of broadcasting baseball, the last 25 in the radio booth for the Red Sox, and Jerry Remy, who made an emotional return to the NESN TV booth last summer …
