Top News:
New York Post:
Omar OKs pact with Escobar — Looking for a diamond in the rough, the Mets last night agreed to terms with veteran pitcher Kelvim Escobar, a club official told The Post. — The 33-year-old right-hander is a reclamation project, having missed nearly two full seasons with shoulder problems …
RELATED:
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
Mets sign Kelvim Escobar — According to Francisco Blavia of Lider en Deportes, the Mets and free-agent pitcher Kelvin Escobar agreed to a one-year contract. — ...thanks to andres m for the tip... Updated at 12:24 am: — Jon Heyman of SI.com says the deal between Escobar and the Mets is a minor-league deal.
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Mets appear to be closing on Escobar — Multiple reports have right-hander near deal — It may be Christmas Eve, but the baseball rumor mill never stops. — A report out of Venezuela, substantiated by the New York Daily News, states that the Mets are close to reaching an agreement to sign former Angels pitcher Kelvim Escobar.
Dan Steinberg / Redskins Insider:
Haynesworth sent home for disciplinary reasons — Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth was sent home from practice Friday for disciplinary reasons, Coach Jim Zorn said. — “All that will be kept between Albert and I,” Zorn said. “He wasn't belligerent or nasty to me, and I wasn't nasty to him.
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
End of Year Salary Totals for MLB Over 11 Years (1999-2009) — Allocating revenues to player payroll in professional sports is all part of well... the game. But, how much as the 30 clubs in Major League Baseball spent over the last 11 years (1999-2009) when factoring in end of year salaries …
Discussion:
The iYankees Blog
Fox Sports:
How NL clubs have addressed '10 needs — Atlanta manager Bobby Cox is headed into his 29th and final season of filling out big-league managerial cards. He has led his teams to a record 15 first-place finishes — including the first in Blue Jays history in 1985 — and guided the Braves …
Discussion:
PBC Blog
Weei / Full Count:
Peter Gammons on Dale & Holley — Hall of Fame baseball writer Peter Gammons appeared in studio on WEEI on Wednesday to discuss the state of the offseason and to discuss the upcoming Hot Stove, Cool Music events (on Jan. 9, 2010). — Gammons discussed several offseason topics, among them:
J.J. Cooper / Baseball America:
John Manuel's Personal Top 20 Prospects List — The Baseball America Prospect Handbook has been sent to the printer and will be shipped in the not too distant future. As part of the handbook, Jim Callis, Will Lingo and John Manuel rank their own personal Top 50s, the first step toward …
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Oakland Athletics, Justin Duchscherer agree to deal, source says — Free-agent pitcher Justin Duchscherer has agreed in principle to a one-year, guaranteed major league contract with the Oakland Athletics, a baseball source told ESPN.com. — Duchscherer — The deal could be worth …
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
The Night Before Red Sox Christmas — 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Fenway — Not a creature was stirring, but perhaps Jason Bay — The red socks were hung by the Monster seats with care — In hopes that John Henry soon would be there — The Pink Hats were nestled all snug in their beds,
Discussion:
24 Hours From Suicide, Fenway West, Red Sox Monster, The Bottom Line and It's About The Money
RELATED:
New York Post:
3UP: Reed Johnson, Bay and Happy Holidays — 1. An NL executive and an agent told me the Yankees were talking regularly to the representatives for Reed Johnson. I can see the Yankee reasoning. As currently constituted, the Yanks have lefty-swingers Brett Gardner in left field and Curtis Granderson in center.
Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Intern Ohlendorf home for holidays — Pitcher spent 10 weeks learning at Department of Agriculture … MLB.com: Now that you have wrapped up your internship in D.C., can you talk a little bit about what you gained from your time there? — Ohlendorf: I really enjoyed it.
Discussion:
PBC Blog
