Top News:
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Jon Heyman: Phillies reach deal to get Halladay, send Lee to Mariners — The Phillies are in agreement on a three-team trade with the Mariners and Blue Jays to acquire star pitcher Roy Halladay, SI.com has learned. All indications are that Cliff Lee will likely be heading from Philadelphia to Seattle in the trade.
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score, Batter's Box Interactive …, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Amazin' Avenue, Fox Sports, The Seattle Times, BronxBanterBlog.com, crashburnalley.com, LA Times Sports Blog, The Big Lead, The700Level.com, Over the Monster, SBNation.com, Respect Jeter's Gangster, Phuture Phillies, Halos Heaven, Sports Blog Net, Bottom9 Baseball, NESN.com, Chicago Breaking Sports, Fanhouse MLB Blog, Lookout Landing and WasWatching.com
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ESPN:
Source: Lackey, Red Sox agree to 5-year deal … 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 …
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Source: Angels in serious talks with DH 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 — A league source told ESPN …
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.
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.
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 …
Discussion:
Sabernomics, Full Count, Respect Jeter's Gangster, It's About The Money and Baseball Rumor Mill
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Phils, Ms, Blue Jays Agree On Halladay-Cliff Lee Blockbuster — 5:29pm: Scott Lauber of the News Journal speculates that the Phillies “preliminary” talks with Lee last week regarding an extension beyond 2010 may have left the club with the impression that they were not going to receive any sort of discount from the ace.
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:
Sources: Halladay to Phils, Lee to M's deal close … A three-way deal that would send Roy Halladay to Philadelphia and Cliff Lee to Seattle is “close” but “not done,” according to two sources familiar with the negotiations. — As part of the deal, Halladay would agree …
Discussion:
Fanhouse MLB Blog, Circling The Bases, Bats, The Musings and Prophecies …, yankeesdaily.com and The Good Phight
George A. King III / New York Post:With Lackey close to Red Sox deal, Yankees likely to back off Halladay
Kevin Goldstein / Unfiltered:
Aroldis Chapman: D-Day? Done Deal? De-Valued? — One of the biggest scouting events of the year takes place tomorrow when Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman will hold a workout for interested teams in Houston. For several teams, this will be the first opportunity to see Champman throw since the World Baseball Classic.
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs, Circling The Bases, Over the Monster, MetsBlog.com, Confessions of a She-Fan and MLB.com
RELATED:
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 …
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:
New Jersey Online, Fack Youk, BronxBanterBlog.com, Mack's Mets, Circling The Bases and MetsBlog.com
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Flores overjoyed with signing of Pudge — Young catcher expecting to learn a lot from veteran, idol — Catcher Jesus Flores was overjoyed when he learned that the Nationals signed catcher Ivan Rodriguez to a two-year, $6 million contract last week. — Flores, 25, idolized …
