Top News:
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Cubs sign OF Byrd to 3-year contract — The Chicago Cubs made their first major addition of the offseason, signing former Texas Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd to a three-year, $15 million deal on Thursday. — The Cubs hope Byrd can fill their center field void.
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Yahoo! Sports:
Cubs agree with Marlon Byrd on $15M, 3-year deal — CHICAGO (AP)—The Cubs found the center fielder they'd been searching for, agreeing Thursday to a $15 million, three-year contract with Marlon Byrd — And the Cubs are hoping to have more success with this former Texas Rangers outfielder …
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Texas looking to fill Byrd's void in lineup — Many bargains available on market to fulfill Rangers' wish list — ARLINGTON — Outfielder Marlon Byrd is on his way to Chicago, having agreed to a three-year, $15 million contract with the Cubs on Thursday.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Cubs Sign Marlon Byrd — The Cubs signed Marlon Byrd to a three-year $15MM deal today. The 32-year-old will play center field and push Kosuke Fukudome to right. Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Cubs were nearing a deal with Byrd and Carrie Muskat followed up with the contract's length …
ESPN:
Boston Red Sox's Mike Lowell has surgery on right thumb — As expected, Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb. He is expected to be ready for spring training after six to eight weeks of rest and rehabilitation.
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Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Lowell's surgery a success — According to a source, Mike Lowell was found to have a 95-percent tear in the radial collateral ligament in his thumb when Dr. Donald Sheridan operated on him today. — The surgery went well, Lowell will return to his home in Florida tomorrow and will need 6-8 weeks of recovery.
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards, Holliday closing in on deal — The wait might have been worth it for the Cardinals, as the club and free-agent outfielder Matt Holliday are working toward an agreement that multiple sources described as gaining momentum and potentially is the largest ever offered by the franchise.
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John Sickels / Minor League Ball:
New York Yankees Top 20 Prospects for 2010 — More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP — New York Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes, drafted in the first round in 2004. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) — Browse more photos » — Top 20 New York Yankees Prospects for 2010
Anthony McCarron / NY Daily News:
Former teammate Sean Casey says New York Mets made right move signing Jason Bay — After the Mets suffered through a lackluster, injury-ravaged season that left them a baseball punchline, their first big move of the winter - nabbing free-agent slugger Jason Bay - is a huge step toward jolting …
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Teen Ramirez wins MiLBY as top starter — 19-year-old Yankees prospect dominant in debut season — There's been a bit of a renaissance in the lower levels of the Yankees farm system, particularly when it comes to young, intriguing arms. — That's largely been because of a renewed effort …
Discussion:
MVN
Rob Neyer / ESPN:
Raines should easily walk right into Hall — Speedster had more than 800 stolen bases and reached base nearly 4,000 times — We've all got our prejudices, and Hall of Fame voters have any number of them. — Unfortunately, two of the voters' many prejudices work squarely against Tim Raines.
Discussion:
THE BOOK
Fox Sports:
Five worst deals of MLB offseason — When it comes to the Hot Stove, do we tend to talk about the sensible value additions, or do we prefer to delight in the Ed Whitsons, the Mark Davises, the Wayne Garlands, and the Mike Hamptons? You know, they're the ones who grandly flame out before our eyes …
Discussion:
Circling The Bases
Chad Jennings / The LoHud Yankees Blog:
Pitching notes from Mark Newman — Let's start the pitching notes with the very last player Mark Newman and I talked about last week. He's not in the organization, but you know the name well. — • Aroldis Chapman is arguably the most intriguing free agent pitcher still on the market.
Discussion:
YanksBlog.com, MetsBlog.com, A Die Hard Yankees Fan, Sliding Into Home, Circling The Bases and MVN
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Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies could cut ties with catcher Torrealba — With the Rockies and catcher Yorvit Torrealba struggling to bridge the gap on the allocation of a $6 million contract, the club is moving toward signing Miguel Olivo, according to a major-league source. — The Rockies and Torrealba …
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