Check out Mini-Ballbug for simple mobiles or Ballbug Mobile for modern smartphones.
3:50 PM ET, December 19, 2009

Ballbug

 Top News: 
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
New York Mets appear to be lone team set to pay free agent Jason Bay  —  The Mets' competition for free agent outfielder Jason Bay dropped by one team Friday when the Mariners traded for Milton Bradley.  Now it remains to be seen if the Mets and Bay can come to an agreement that would bring the outfielder to Flushing.
Discussion: MetsBlog.com and The iYankees Blog
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Here's an idea: Mets should trade Santana  —  By all accounts, the Mets are getting closer to wrapping their long, desperate tentacles around Jason Bay, but they're keeping their options open in case he bolts to the mystery team that's (supposedly) offering a five-year deal.
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Inbox: Should Wright play first base?  —  Mets beat reporter Marty Noble fields fans' questions  —  I love watching David Wright make highlight plays at third base, but he also makes a lot of errors.  With the need for a first baseman, the Mets could solve that problem with moving Wright to first.
Discussion: Mack's Mets
Marksheldon / Mark My Word:
Rolen signs extension  —  The Reds and 3B Scott Rolen have restructured his contract and have extended him for two more guaranteed seasons.  Rolen's new contract will pay him $23.625 million through the 2012 season with a $5 million signing bonus that is deferred over the next three seasons without interest.
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
In Signing Nick Johnson, Yankees Turn Johnny Damon Away  —  The fourth game of the World Series was tied, 4-4, with two outs, no base runners and a 1-2 count on Johnny Damon in the top of the ninth inning last month in Philadelphia.  With one more strike, the Phillies would have come to bat …
RELATED:
Bill Madden / NY Daily News:
New York Yankees finalize one-year deal with Nick Johnson to replace Johnny Damon  —  The Yankees Friday finalized a one-year, $5.5 million deal with first baseman-DH Nick Johnson, effectively ending Johnny Damon's run in pinstripes.  —  The deal will not be officially announced until sometime next week …
Discussion: The Nats Blog and matsuifan.com
George A. King III / New York Post:
Yankees give Johnson one-year deal; Damon moving on
Jack Moore / FanGraphs Baseball:
Nick Johnson to New York
Discussion: BASEBALL HOT CORNER
ESPN:
Blyleven: Health Silva's biggest question  —  Which Carlos Silva are the Chicago Cubs getting in the Milton Bradley trade?  —  Is he the one who was a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter with the Minnesota Twins, who averaged 193 innings from 2004-07?  Or will he be the Silva of the past …
RELATED:
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
Cubs look like biggest loser in problem swap with Mariners
Discussion: Bugs & Cranks and Bottom9 Baseball
Jayson Stark / ESPN.com:
Source: Mike Lowell of Boston Red Sox flying to Texas for meeting, physical with Texas Rangers  —  Mike Lowell will fly to Texas on Saturday after a meeting late this week with a hand specialist in Arizona, according to a major league executive familiar with Lowell's situation.  —  Lowell
RELATED:
Richard Durrett / ESPN:   Source: Mike Lowell likely to have physical this weekend for Texas Rangers
MLB.com:
Anthopoulos chats with Blue Jays fans  —  Toronto GM discusses Halladay trade, prospects and more … Alex Anthopoulos: Glad to be communicating one on one with the fans.  Excited to hear your questions.  Looking forward to answering some of your questions.
Mike Florio / NBC Sports:
Source: Blache already has interviewed for Redskins job  —  Unless they conducted a search even faster than they recruited Albert Haynesworth, the Redskins interviewed multiple candidates for General Manager at a time when they already had someone doing the job.
Discussion: DC Pro Sports Report
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
MacPhail satisfied for now  —  But O's still interested in pitchers Chapman, Hendrickson  —  Andy MacPhail likely made his biggest splashes of the offseason over the last couple of weeks, when he traded for Kevin Millwood, signed Mike Gonzalez to a two-year deal and reached agreement on a one-year pact with Garrett Atkins.
Kevin Dame / Hardball Times:
Visual Baseball: Seattle Mariners Rank-o-meter  —  With the additions of Cliff Lee, Chone Figgins and “Meltdown” Bradley, there's been a surge in Mariners hype.  Those who aren't quite ready to hand them the AL West crown point to their weak offense.  Here's a look at that offense via the Rank-o-meter.
Discussion: Red Reporter
 
 Archived Page Info: 
This is a snapshot of Ballbug at 3:50 PM ET, December 19, 2009.

View the current page or another snapshot:


 
 See Also: 
Ballbug: site main
Ballbug River: reverse chronological Ballbug
Ballbug Mobile: for phones
Ballbug Leaderboard: Ballbug's top sources
 
 Subscribe: 
Ballbug RSS feed
 
 
 More News: 
John Sickels / Minor League Ball:
Philadelphia Phillies Top 20 Prospects for 2010
Michael Hurley / NESN.com:
Jacoby Ellsbury Proves Defensive Statistics Are Essentially Meaningless
Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Rivera named Pro Athlete of the Year
Thomas Harding / MLB.com:
Rincon returning to Rockies
Discussion: MLB Rumors
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Pirates Sign Javier Lopez
 Earlier Picks: 
Mark Bowman / MLB.com:
Vazquez unlikely to waive no-trade clause
Discussion: Talking Chop
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Rays sign Dillon, Shealy to Minors deals
Jodie Wagner / Youth Sports Daily:
Marlins' Chris Volstad to appear at Bucky Dent camp Dec. 22
Discussion: FishStripes
 

 
From WeSmirch:

TMZ.com:
Shia LaBeouf Arrested at Mardi Gras After Fight, Spotted in Ambulance, on Video

Christina Garibaldi / Us Weekly:
‘Royally Us’ Weekly Recap: Prince Harry Previously Reached Out to Intermediary to Have Conversation With Prince William

Glamour:
Hilary Duff Is Fully in the Driver's Seat

 
Sister Sites:

Techmeme
 Top news and commentary for technology's leaders, from all around the web
Mediagazer
 Top news and commentary for media professionals from all around the web
memeorandum
 What US political commentators are discussing online right now
WeSmirch
 The top celebrity news from all around the web on a single page