Top News:
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 / ESPN:
Sources: Cards leaning to 5-year offer — The Cardinals continue to talk about re-signing outfielder Matt Holliday, and in their internal deliberations, the intention is to stand on a five-year offer, sources said. — It's always possible the Cardinals could alter their offer to Holliday, and add to it.
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, Circling The Bases, The Real Dirty Mets Blog, The iYankees Blog, Yankeeist and MetsBlog.com
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.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Full Count, Clubhouse Insider, Fenway West, The House That Dewey Built and It's About The Money
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Sports Illustrated:Lackey signing makes two AL division races more interesting
Discussion:
Baseball Analysts, Over the Monster, Boston Globe, BronxBanterBlog.com, Full Count and Babes Love Baseball
Gordon Edes / ESPN:Quick strike for Lackey seems unlike Epstein
Discussion:
NESN.com, Red Sox Monster, The Bottom Line, Surviving Grady, Yahoo! Sports, Boston Globe, YFSF, Bronx Baseball Daily and Circling The Bases
Jorge Arangure Jr / MLB:
Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman throws for scouts in Houston — Fomer Cuban national team starting pitcher Aroldis Chapman threw a bullpen session on Tuesday in Houston in front of representatives from 15 major league teams. — On Tuesday morning at the Baseball USA complex …
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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 …
Gene Duffey / MLB.com:
Chapman holds impressive workout — Representatives from the Majors get first glimpse of hurler — HOUSTON — Aroldis Chapman, the unsigned 21-year-old pitcher from Cuba, threw a bullpen session Tuesday morning for about 50 Major League scouts, impressing them with his size and velocity.
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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Evan Grant / Texas Rangers:
Hicks, Greenberg and Ryan officially on to next step — This press release just landed in the inbox:
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
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.
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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
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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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.
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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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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.
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
White Sox acquire OF Pierre from L.A. — The Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder Juan Pierre and cash from the Los Angeles Dodgers for two minor leaguers. — Pierre said he's ecstatic to get an opportunity to possibly play every day after being in Manny Ramirez's shadow with the Dodgers.
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Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:White Sox get Pierre, cash from Dodgers in trade
Discussion:
Mets Merized Online
Sam Page / Amazin' Avenue:
Point Of Contention: Jeff Francoeur's Defense — More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP — Lookout Landing did a series of these “point of contention” articles earlier in the offseason, and I thought it would be a good way to flesh out some issues I had been thinking about.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
Jim Salisbury / CSNPhilly.com:
Getting Close: Phillies, Halladay Agree on Extension — The biggest hurdle in making Roy Halladay a Phillie has been cleared. — According to multiple sources, Halladay and the Phillies have agreed on a contract extension that will keep the pitcher in red pinstripes for at least the next four seasons.
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