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1:30 PM ET, December 8, 2009

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 Top News: 
RELATED:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Yanks, Tigers, D'Backs Discussing Blockbuster  —  11:24am: More from Olney - the D'Backs are aiming to get Edwin Jackson and Kennedy in the deal.  Olney speaks of “growing confidence on at least two of the sides” involved, and his sources have the odds of a deal in the 20-30% range.
Sports Illustrated:
Three-way blockbuster on the table  —  The blockbuster three-way trade that would send top young pitcher Edwin Jackson to the Diamondbacks, Curtis Granderson to the Yankees and good young players to the Tigers is being heavily discussed again, and one involved party said he believed it had a “50-50” chance of happening.
Mark Feinsand / Blogging The Bombers:
Winter Meetings: Day 2 (with Granderson update)
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Granderson-to-Yanks hits snag
Mike DiGiovanna / LA Times Sports Blog:
Jason Bay and Hideki Matsui are options for Angels' offense  —  Angels General Manager Tony Reagins, after arriving at the winter meetings late this afternoon, said free-agent outfielders Jason Bay and Hideki Matsui, as well as Vladimir Guerrero, are among the options the team is looking at to bolster its offense.
RELATED:
Mike DiGiovanna / Los Angeles Times:
Angels considering a variety of options
Bob Klapisch / NorthJersey.com:
Where's the money? Mets look like pretenders
Discussion: Mets Today
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Lackey declines Halos' arbitration offer
Discussion: MLB Rumors
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Looks go way of Bay  —  Sox aren't the only team eyeing him
Discussion: WEEI and The Bottom Line
Adam Rubin / Surfing The Mets:
Breaking news: Mets sign player  —  Well, this doesn't exactly heat up your hot stove, but the Daily News has learned of one signing by the Mets.  Career minor-leaguer Mike Hessman has signed a minor-league deal.  Hessman, 31, hit .217 with 23 homers and 77 RBI while striking out 171 times …
RELATED:
Troy Renck / All Things Rockies:   Herzog provides quips; Mets sign Hessman; Yanks pursue Granderson
Yahoo! Sports:
Boras takes exception to comments by Herzog
Discussion: Angels blog
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:   Mets Sign Mike Hessman
JSOnline:
Wolf still in play  —  By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel  —  Indianapolis - Don't put Randy Wolf in the Brewers' starting rotation just yet.  —  I just learned that the New York Mets are meeting with Wolf's agent this morning.  So, if Wolf's reps are still talking to teams, the Brewers haven't locked him up yet.
RELATED:
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:   Brewers closing in on deal for Wolf
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:
After day 1 of winter meetings, Mets GM Omar Minaya senses …
Discussion: MetsBlog.com
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Buzz: The Pitcher's Market... and Vanilla Pitchers
Steve Adams / MLB Rumors:
Mets, Brewers Discussing Maine For Hart
Chico Harlan / Nationals Journal:
Nats sign free agent Ivan Rodriguez  —  The Washington Nationals' bid to add a back-up catcher ended Monday night with the acquisition of free agent Ivan Rodriguez, a future Hall of Famer whose stature and salary suggests a significant role, according to a team source.
RELATED:
MLB.com:
Pudge signs two-year deal with Nats  —  Veteran backstop to serve as mentor for Flores  —  INDIANAPOLIS — Veteran catcher Ivan Rodriguez has agreed to a two-year, $6 million deal with the Nationals, MLB.com learned on Monday night.  Washington has not confirmed the report.
Discussion: Fox Sports
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Pudge, Nats reach deal
Discussion: Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Carl Pavano, Rafael Soriano, Rafael Betancourt accept arbitration  —  INDIANAPOLIS — Minnesota starter Carl Pavano, Atlanta reliever Rafael Soriano and Colorado setup man Rafael Betancourt accepted salary arbitration offers before Monday's midnight deadline, keeping them with their teams for next season.
RELATED:
David O'Brien / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Soriano surprises Braves, accepts arbitration  —  Mike Gonzalez declines offer and becomes a free agent  —  Indianapolis — Just before midnight Monday, Rafael Soriano's agent said what the Braves did not want to hear: Soriano has accepted the team's arbitration offer …
Discussion: Mariners Insider
Sabernomics:
Did Soriano's Agent Find a Way Around Draft Pick Compensation?
Derrick Goold / Cardinal Beat:
Mozeliak acknowledges pending deal with Penny, meeting with Boras  —  INDIANAPOLIS — While not yet ready to announce a deal with free-agent pitcher Brad Penny, St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak confirmed that the team has an agreement in place with a starter and that the only thing left to be done is a physical.
RELATED:
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards, Penny reach a deal
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Angels, Mariners heat up Bay watch
Discussion: Seattle Times and Mariners blog
Jeff Zrebiec / Baltimore Sun:
O's eye pitchers at start of meetings  —  Team, Rangers discuss deal for Millwood; club examining Bedard's medical records  —  INDIANAPOLIS - The Orioles' focus on Day One of baseball's winter meetings was on trying to upgrade a pitching staff that has been one of the worst in baseball.
RELATED:
Peter Schmuck / The Schmuck Stops Here:
Millwood: Part Deux
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Looking to Add Arms, Yankees First Deal One  —  INDIANAPOLIS — As the World Series champions, the Yankees are the object of envy at the winter meetings.  Yet as executives and agents huddled in hotel suites Monday, safe from the snow outside, the Yankees were just like the rest of baseball.
RELATED:
Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Cashman acknowledges Pettitte talks, adds Marquis to the list  —  Brian Cashman said he has not spoken directly to Andy Pettitte, but it's his understanding that Pettitte wants to pitch next year under “the right circumstances.”  Those right circumstances mean, the right contract.
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Winter Meetings Buzz: Two Clubs Don't Use Analytics  —  NOTE: The Biz of Baseball will be reporting on the ground from Indianapolis for this year's Baseball Winter Meetings.  From the media room to the Trade Show, we'll have you covered on The Biz of Baseball and via Twitter.
RELATED:
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
Is Twitter helping or hurting baseball's winter meetings?
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Relationship no longer dicey  —  INDIANAPOLIS - The relationship between Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox became strained during parts of last season.  The righthander fell out of contact with the team during the World Baseball Classic, returned out of shape, and spent much of the season on the disabled list.
RELATED:
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
Williams sports a poker face  —  Sox GM just might be playing possum with Quentin-Crawford, Jenks rumors  —  INDIANAPOLIS — Two weeks of downplaying the upcoming winter meetings.  —  Two months of pointing out that he couldn't “spend a dollar if he only had 50 cents.”
Discussion: MetsBlog.com and The Heater
 
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 More News: 
ESPN:
Seattle balances cash with caution
Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Valverde rejects Astros' arbitration offer
Discussion: The Crawfish Boxes
Amalie Benjamin / Boston Globe:
Sox prospect Kelly decides to focus on pitching
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Winter Meetings: Capps, Doumit in trade talks
Discussion: MLB Rumors, MetsBlog.com and Fox Sports
 Earlier Picks: 
Tom Singer / MLB.com:
Beane explores A's short-term options
Discussion: MLB Rumors
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Cubs remain confident a trade involving Milton Bradley will be consummated
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Betancourt accepts arbitration from Rockies
Evan Brunell:
The end of the Most Valuable Network, MVN.com
 

 
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