Top News:
MLB:
Reports: Aroldis Chapman agrees to deal with Cincinnati Reds … Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman has an agreement to play with the Cincinnati Reds, multiple outlets reported on Sunday. — One source told ESPN The Magazine's Jorge Arangure that the Reds expect to sign Chapman …
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Jfay / Cincinnati Reds:
Chapman details — The deal with left-hander Aroldis Chapman is for $25 million over five years with a player option for a sixth. His salary for 2010 will be in $1 million range. — It's a major league deal and it's spread out over 10 years. The first year it will be a major burden on the big league budget is 2014.
Discussion:
Baseball America, Circling The Bases, It's About The Money, Chris Sabo's Goggles, Yahoo! Sports and Redleg Nation
Dejan Kovacevic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Pirates in talks with free-agent outfielder Church — Fits team's desired profile, could play regularly if needed — The Pirates are in talks with free-agent outfielder Ryan Church. — Church, 31, is coming off a 2009, split between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves …
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Fox Sports:
Pirates nearing deal with OF Church — Jon Paul Morosi is a national MLB writer for FOXSports.com. He previously covered baseball for the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He began his journalism career at the Bay City Times in his native Michigan.
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Giants Agree To Sign Aubrey Huff — The Giants agreed to sign Aubrey Huff to a one-year $3MM deal, according to Dennis O'Donnell of CBS5 in San Francisco. The deal, O'Donnell says via e-mail, is pending a physical. — Huff split his time between first base and DH last year and though …
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Davis has interest in Nationals — Free-agent pitcher Doug Davis said Sunday night he would like to play for the Nationals and help their young pitching staff, but he doesn't think he will play in Washington. Why? He was informed that the team had to address other needs such as finding a second baseman.
Doug Miller / MLB.com:
New defensive stats starting to catch on — More teams placing bigger emphasis on fielding — SEATTLE — With two World Series titles in the last six years and almost-yearly postseason appearances, the Boston Red Sox don't have much of a reason to take after the Seattle Mariners, who haven't made the playoffs since 2001.
Tim Kurkjian / MLB:
Jarrod Washburn turns down Minnesota Twins' $5M offer, sources say — Free-agent pitcher Jarrod Washburn has turned down a one-year contract worth $5 million from the Minnesota Twins, two sources confirmed Monday. — Washburn was 8-6 with a 2.64 ERA with the Seattle Mariners last year, then was traded to the Detroit Tigers.
Discussion:
Circling The Bases
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
Cooperstown crystal ball — Last week was a fun week for me — and not just because I received my author copies of Evaluating Baseball's Managers, 1876-2008 in the mail. (Now available! I know of at least one random purchaser who also got his copy, so it is coming out).
New York Post:
Derek Jeter, Minka Kelly set to become Mr. and Mrs. ‘November’ — Women of New York, start weeping. — After months of speculation that the Yankees' hunk and his sexy steady Minka Kelly are headed to the altar, The Post has learned that the super couple may have settled on a wedding date — Nov. 5.
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Tony Jackson / ESPN:
Jason Repko agrees to one-year deal with Dodgers — The Dodgers have dispensed with the first of their nine pending arbitration cases, agreeing to terms with reserve outfielder Jason Repko on a one-year contract. — Dodgers assistant general manager Kim Ng confirmed the agreement …
Chicago Breaking Sports:
Source: Cubs would retire Dawson's number — What's at stake for Andre Dawson if the Hall of Fame decides to depict him wearing a Cubs cap instead of a Montreal Expos cap when he is inducted? — Besides many more thousands of marketing dollars, Dawson has been promised by the Cubs …
John Perrotto / Baseball Prospectus:
On the Beat — Weekend Update — All the big names are off the free-agent board now that Matt Holliday has re-signed with the Cardinals, Jason Bay pulled a surprise and signed with the Mets, and John Lackey caught many off guard by switching coasts and signing with the Red Sox.
Discussion:
Talking Chop
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