Top News:
Fox Sports:
Red Sox take aim at Adrian Gonzalez — The Red Sox are not done yet. — The team, set to announce the signings of free-agent right-hander John Lackey and center fielder Mike Cameron, is working hard to obtain Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, according to major-league sources.
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Bill Center / SignOnSanDiego.com:
Red Sox could be targeting Gonzalez — Speculation swirls with recent moves — Padres General Manager Jed Hoyer recently said he expects Adrian Gonzalez to be at first base when the 2010 season starts in April. — But are the Boston Red Sox positioning themselves for another run …
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Source: Greenberg Group Selected by Hicks for Texas Rangers — 9:30pm - Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that Greenberg has a 45 day exclusivity window with which to complete the sale. Interesting in that the window for the Cubs sale for Thomas Ricketts was set at 30 days …
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Jose De Jesus Ortiz / Houston Chronicle:
McLane admits he nearly sold Astros — Houston businessman Crane backed out of handshake deal — After a year of denials, Astros owner Drayton McLane admitted Tuesday that he was on the brink of selling the club to Houston businessman Jim Crane after the 2008 season.
Evan Grant / Texas Rangers:Hicks, Greenberg and Ryan officially on to next step
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Mets tweak offer to Bay, eye Holliday … Moving aggressively to try to secure a power-hitting left fielder, the Mets tweaked their offer to Jason Bay to give him a five-year option and are getting back into the ballgame for Matt Holliday, as well, SI.com has learned.
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Buster Olney / MLB:Sources: New York Mets, OF Jason Bay remain in serious talks
Discussion:
Associated Press
John Manuel / Baseball America:
New York Yankees Top 10 Prospects — New York Yankees … Every Yankees team is measured against the amazing, rich history of the franchise, the most championship-laden in American team sports. — The standard for success is clear. Anything less than a World Series title is a failure.
Randy Moss / Yahoo! Sports:
Chapman unveils 97 mph fastball for suitors — For the dozens of baseball men wondering whether Aroldis Chapman's official unveiling was worth the trip, the left-hander had an emphatic, 97-mph answer with his final pitch. — Sure was. — Executives and scouts came out of Tuesday's 30 …
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Gene Duffey / MLB.com:Chapman holds impressive workout
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Hot Stove Blog, A Die Hard Yankees Fan, YanksBlog.com, Circling The Bases and Sliding Into Home
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Commissioner forms advisory committee — Members will analyze ways to improve game on the field — NEW YORK — Commissioner Bud Selig announced on Tuesday that he will chair a new 14-man special committee to analyze ways of improving Major League Baseball on the field.
Discussion:
Confessions of a She-Fan, True Blue LA, IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS and Blue Collar Baseball
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Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune:
MLB sets up mechanism that could ban DH — (Jim Prisching, Associated Press / November 19, 2009) — Commissioner sets up non-binding rules' committee — On Baseball — Is the designated hitter rule finally on its way out with Major League Baseball?
Discussion:
Circling The Bases
George A. King III / New York Post:
Damon ready to explore other options; Mets one possibility — Is Johnny Damon following Hideki Matsui out of The Bronx? — With very little contact between the Yankees and the free-agent left fielder, Damon is ready to explore other options. — “I am going to start looking around.
Discussion:
Pinstripes, Pa., River Avenue Blues, Pinstripe Alley, Bronx Baseball Daily and MLB Rumors
David Waldstein / Bats:
Mets Near a Deal With Ryota Igarashi — The Mets are close to signing Ryota Igarashi, a Japanese pitcher, to a two-year deal, according to a person briefed on the situation. Yes, they need an outfielder to hit in the middle of the batting order and another starting pitcher, but they also needed to improve their bullpen.
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Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Marquis interested in Nationals — Right-hander went 15-13 with 4.04 ERA for Rockies in '09 — Last week at the Winter Meetings, it was revealed that the Nationals had interest in free-agent right-hander Jason Marquis. It turns out that the feelings are mutual.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, MetsBlog.com, Mets Today, Circling The Bases, Federal Baseball, MLB Rumors and Mets Fever
MLB.com:
Nationals sign six players to minor league contracts — The Washington Nationals today signed right-handed pitchers Joel Peralta, Logan Kensing and Ryan Speier, catcher Jamie Burke, infielder Pete Orr and outfielder Jerry Owens to minor league contracts. Nationals Senior Vice President …
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James Kannengieser / Amazin' Avenue:
Stop Saying Omar Minaya Only Goes After Latino Players — The “Omar Minaya only pursues Latino players” topic has appeared again this offseason and the propagators of this myth are out in full force. Perhaps it was brought on by the signings of Alex Cora, Henry Blanco and Elmer Dessens.
Photi / Fish Chunks:
Cracked Stat Report: Baseball Verses Football — One of the many problems that is pointed out about the baseball park that for at least the next five minutes is known as LandShark Stadium is that it actually is not really a baseball park. A football team known as the Miami Dolphins has tromped …
TheStarPress.com:
(2 of 2) — Bigbie, Hernandez said, was not selected the first time the group met. — “There was a process there with him,” Hernandez said. “People wanted some more information on his Major League Baseball career and some of the things that happened with him.” — Bigbie played at Ball State from 1996-1999.
