Top News:
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Lackey near 5-year, $85 million deal with BoSox … Top free agent pitcher John Lackey is said to be in agreement on a five-year, $85 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, sources say. Lackey has scheduled a physical with the team. — Lackey's deal with the Red Sox is similar to the $82.5 million …
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Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Red Sox, John Lackey Reach Agreement — 2:55pm: Heyman says the Red Sox and Lackey are in agreement in a five-year, $85MM deal. — 1:41pm: Yahoo's Tim Brown has an Angels source who believes they're still in the running for Lackey and the pitcher has not accepted a Boston offer.
ESPN:
Source: John Lackey agrees to 5-year deal with Boston Red Sox … The Boston Red Sox have reached a tentative deal with right-handed pitcher John Lackey, pending a physical, worth slightly more than the $82.5 million, five-year contract A.J. Burnett signed with the New York Yankees last year …
Kevin Goldstein / Unfiltered:Aroldis Chapman: D-Day? Done Deal? De-Valued?
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs, Circling The Bases, Confessions of a She-Fan, MetsBlog.com, Over the Monster and MLB.com
George A. King III / New York Post:With Lackey close to Red Sox deal, Yankees likely to back off Halladay
Fox Sports:
Sources: Jays, Phils talk Halladay-Lee blockbuster — Roy Halladay is in Philadelphia and may be a Phillie soon, according to major-league sources.
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Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Phils, Ms, Blue Jays Agree On Halladay-Cliff Lee Blockbuster — 2:56pm: Heyman tweets that a three-way deal has been agreed to with Halladay going to the Phillies and Lee to the Mariners. The Phillies are now trying to sign Halladay to an extensin. — 2:36pm: Morosi tweets that MLB …
Jim Salisbury / CSNPhilly.com:
Fever Pitch: Trade Talks for Halladay Heating Up — The Phillies' pursuit of Toronto ace Roy Halladay appears to be reaching a boil. — Two baseball sources told CSNPhilly.com Monday that the team is actively talking about a contract extension with representatives for the 32-year-old righthander.
Andy Martino / Philly.com:
Halladay and agent in Philadelphia — Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay and his agent have checked into a Philadelphia-area hotel, according to two Inquirer sources. — It is not known if a trade sending Halladay to the Phillies is imminent, but if Halladay and the Phils are negotiating …
Jayson Stark / ESPN.com:
Source: Los Angeles Angels in serious talks with DH Hideki Matsui — The Los Angeles Angels are in serious discussions with Hideki Matsui about supplanting Vladimir Guerrero as their designated hitter, a source familiar with the team's thinking told ESPN.com. — Matsui
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Charlie Devereux / New York Times:
Venezuelan Children Flock to See Santana on His Trip Home — TOVAR, Venezuela — The residents here like to tell the story of how a scout, impressed by Johan Santana's performance at a junior national tournament, drove 10 hours to this small coffee-growing town 6,400 feet up in the Andes to knock unannounced on his parents' door.
Discussion:
Mack's Mets, New Jersey Online, Circling The Bases, Fack Youk, BronxBanterBlog.com and MetsBlog.com
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
New York Yankees eye Justin Duchscherer and Ben Sheets to potentially fill in rotation — Even after bringing back Andy Pettitte and tendering contracts to Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre, the Yankees are looking for more pitching. — Brian Cashman is looking to add at least one more starter …
Rob Neyer / ESPN:
Top 100 players of the decade — Tough call between Pujols and A-Rod for the top spot. The problem is, who's next? — ESPN.com — When making a list like this — the 100 greatest players of this decade, which by the way I've officially and irreversibly dubbed “the 0's” — it's easy to look at statistics.
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Wang not in hurry to sign amid rehab — While a number of teams have already reached out to pitcher Chien-Ming Wang to express interesting in signing the former Yankee, it's possible that he won't sign for months, according to his agent, Alan Nero. — Wang
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Freese arrested on DWI charge — Cardinals third baseman David Freese was arrested in St. Louis County early Saturday morning on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, Maryland Heights police confirmed Sunday. — Maryland Heights Police Capt. Mike Klos declined to provide details of the incident.
George A. King III / New York Post:
Damon: Yankees haven't made offer — Johnny Damon wants everyone to know where negotiations between himself and the Yankees stand. — They don't. — “My friends and family are calling to tell me about this offer and what I want and it's all wrong,” Damon told The Post today.
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