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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Associated Press:
Cuban ace Aroldis Chapman inks 6-year deal with Cincinnati Reds — CINCINNATI — Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman has signed a six-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds, who view him as an addition to their rotation down the road. — The 21-year-old Chapman gained notoriety during …
Thomas Boswell / Nationals Journal:
Nats were ‘in it to the end’ with Chapman [Updated] — The Nationals were “right in it to the end” in the battle to sign 22-year-old Cuban pitching phenom Aroldis Chapman, offering more than $20-million, according to team President Stan Kasten. However, the southpaw signed with the Reds …
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
Tom Brady / Yahoo! Sports:Source: Chapman to sign with NL team
Discussion:
Cincinnati Reds, Nationals Journal, baseballmusings.com, SOX & Dawgs, Viva El Birdos, Bless You Boys, Circling The Bases, Federal Baseball, omgreds.com, Athletics Nation, NESN.com, MetsBlog.com, Mets Merized Online, BBTF's Baseball Primer …, Where Have You Gone …, redsminorleagues.com, The Big Lead, The iYankees Blog and TYU
Luke Adams / MLB Rumors:Reds Sign Aroldis Chapman
Discussion:
MLB.com, Cincinnati.com, Full Count, Nats Triple Play, Cincinnati Reds, Red Hot Mama, PBC Blog, Pinstripe Alley and Bluebird Banter
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.
Sports Illustrated:
Big paydays await game's MVPs … There appears to be little to see yet in what promises to be two of the most widely watched player negotiations in recent memory. Talks involving Albert Pujols, who is signed through 2010 with a club option for 2011, and the Cardinals early this winter appear …
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.
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).
Jeff Schultz:
Wren on Braves: 'I think we're better' after moves — Frank Wren inherited a team once accustomed to postseasons. He has gone 0-for-2. It follows that while there are a lot of nice things that go with being the general manager of the Braves, one of them is not the benefit of the doubt.
Discussion:
Talking Chop
