Top News:
Todd Zolecki / The Zo Zone:
Polanco Signs Three-Year, $18 Million Deal — The Phillies announced Placido Polanco has signed a three-year, $18 million contract. The contract also includes a fourth-year mutual option for 2013. — Polanco will meet with reporters later today. — Update: The Phillies also just announced …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, MLB Daily Dish, MVN, Mets Merized Online, The700Level.com, Detroit Tigers blog, The Fightins and NESN.com
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Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Source: Phils pursue Polanco — The Philadelphia Phillies are targeting Placido Polanco as their next third baseman, according to a source familiar with their thinking. And they were making a “very serious” effort to sign the 34-year-old free agent Wednesday, the source told ESPN.com.
Discussion:
Circling The Bases, Hardball Times, Yahoo! Sports, Halos Heaven, Mets Merized Online, Bless You Boys and Phillies Nation
Todd Zolecki / MLB.com:
Talks with Polanco getting serious — Club has strong interest in former Tigers second baseman — PHILADELPHIA — Talks have become serious as the Phillies have narrowed their focus to Placido Polanco to replace Pedro Feliz at third base. — Multiple sources told MLB.com on Wednesday …
Luke Adams / MLB Rumors:Phils Sign Polanco To Three-Year Deal
Discussion:
Sabernomics, Brownie Points, Beyond the Box Score, The Zo Zone, Circling The Bases, The700Level.com and Sports Blog Net
The Knobler Blog:
Saito close to deal with Braves — The Braves are close to signing free-agent reliever Takashi Saito to a one-year contract, CBSSports.com has learned. — The deal, which should be announced later this afternoon, is expected to be for about $3 million. — With Saito and Billy Wagner …
Discussion:
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Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Wagner gets $7m from Braves — Free agent loss nets 2 draft picks — Not long after the Red Sox offered arbitration to Billy Wagner, the reliever they picked up in August from the Mets, they found themselves in exactly the situation they desired. While they would have worked around …
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
Report: New York Mets close to signing San Diego Padres catcher Henry Blanco — The Mets appeared to be closing in on a deal with free-agent catcher Henry Blanco. The Venezuelan newspaper “El Nacional” reported Blanco had left that country Sunday for a physical with the Mets.
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Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Mets may be nearing deal with Blanco — Veteran would add depth off the bench, behind the plate — The Mets appear close to acquiring more depth, both off the bench and behind the plate. — Early Thursday morning, The New York Daily News cited the Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional …
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Joe Girardi, Brian Cashman and New York Yankees brass will meet to map out course of offseason — It's been four weeks since the Yankees won the World Series, a time for Joe Girardi and his players to celebrate, accept awards and soak in all that comes with winning a championship.
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Pete Caldera / NorthJersey.com:
Girardi says Pettitte is key to off-season — NEW YORK — To get a better idea of whether the Yankees will become a more urgent suitor for starting pitching this winter, they must receive the answer to one question first. — What is Andy Pettitte's status?
ESPN:
The Yankees' case for Halladay — The Yankees, Mets and Red Sox have spent more money in free agency over the past decade than any other teams, as ESPN's esteemed Mark Simon notes: Bi...
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, MLB Rumors, The iYankees Blog, MetsBlog.com and It's About The Money
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John Manuel / Sports Illustrated:
MLB's best and worst farm systems … Baseball America ranks the 30 MLB farm systems twice a year — in the spring, as the minor league season is about to start, and again every December in our Prospect Handbook. — It's a collaborative effort, and staff members don't always agree on what constitutes a strong system.
Geoff Baker / The Seattle Times:
Oh Canada! Mariners seriously looking at Jason Bay and Rich Harden — Things are starting to heat up in the rumor mill as the baseball winter meetings approach. As colleague Larry Stone wrote yesterday, FoxSports mentioned the Mariners were pushing hard for British Columbia native Rich Harden to join their starting rotation.
John Manuel / Sports Illustrated:
MLB's best, worst farm systems (Cont.) — Rather than rank the remaining 20 teams, where it's really splitting hairs, I've listed them alphabetically in two categories. — Best of the rest (6-15 range) — Braves: Depth took a hit in '09, but outfielder Jason Heyward lifts system himself.
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Perusing the free-agent bargain bin — Sure, Holliday, Bay and Lackey will go for big bucks, but there are reasonable deals — Ben Sheets sat out all of 2009 to recover from surgery and to be ready for the start of 2010. — The Major League Baseball Players Association has advised agents …
