Top News:
Associated Press:
Mark McGwire comes clean, admits steroids use — NEW YORK — Mark McGwire finally came clean Monday, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998. — McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade.
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MLB, Balls, Sticks, & Stuff, DRaysBay, ESPN, Zell's Pinstripe Blog, lenNY's Yankees, thebronxview.com, Bronx Baseball Daily, BronxBanterBlog.com, SOX & Dawgs, Unfiltered, The LoHud Yankees Blog, MLB Daily Dish, Over the Monster, MASNsports.com, sox1fan.com, Yahoo! Sports and This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes
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Associated Press:
McGwire admits steroid use … NEW YORK (AP) — Mark McGwire finally came clean, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998. — McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade.
Matthew Leach / MLB.com:
McGwire admits to steroid use — Will appear on MLB Network tonight to discuss admission — ST. LOUIS — Mark McGwire acknowledged on Monday that he used steroids during his Major League playing career, including in 1998 when he broke Major League Baseball's single-season home run record.
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Source: Cubs hire Maddux as GM asst. — The Chicago Cubs signed future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux as the special assistant to general manager Jim Hendry, according to a source familiar with the signing. — The move will be announced Monday afternoon. — Maddux will help with instruction …
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Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Chicago Cubs have eyes on free-agent pitcher Ben Sheets — The Cubs plan to make a run at free-agent pitcher Ben Sheets, who will work out for teams later this month. — General manager Jim Hendry declined to comment, but he spoke to Sheets' agent at the winter meetings in Indianapolis …
Bob Allen / Associated Press:
McLane enters into negotiations for sale of Astros — HOUSTON — Eyewitness Sports has learned that Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane could be on the verge of selling the team. — [SPORTS BLOG: Read the latest from the Eyewitness Sports team] — This past weekend …
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Brian McTaggart / MLB.com:
Suitor approaches McLane about buying club — Owner maintains that sale of Astros is not imminent — HOUSTON — Astros owner Drayton McLane said on Monday he has entered into an exclusive 30-day negotiating window with a New York investment banking company interested in purchasing the franchise he has owned since 1993.
Thomas Boswell / Nationals Journal:
Nats were ‘in it to the end’ with Chapman [Updated] — (Chico here.) Boz has already supplied the primary information re: the Nats' noteworthy pursuit of Aroldis Chapman, but having spoken this afternoon with GM Mike Rizzo, I thought I'd add some additional nuggets.
Discussion:
Cincinnati.com, MLB.com, The Nationals Enquirer, Federal Baseball, Nats Triple Play and Full Count
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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 …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Chop-n-Change, TYU, Talking Chop, Twinkie Town, Circling The Bases and The iYankees Blog
Howard Megdal / MLB Rumors:
Blue Jays, Mets Interested In Delgado — AOL Fanhouse's Ed Price tweets, the Mets have seen Carlos Delgado in Puerto Rico twice, and plan to see him once more. Price adds that Delgado “is not moving well”. Price adds that the Blue Jays, Delgado's first team, might be a “more likely landing spot.”
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Ken Gurnick / Hot Stove Blog:
Dodgers Sign Dohmann, Green, Reyes — The Dodgers signed free agents Scott Dohmann, Nick Green and Argenis Reyes to Minor League contracts with an invitation to Spring Training. — Dohmann, a 32-year-old right-handed pitcher, pitched for Hiroshima in Japan last year until he was released.
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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 …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Mondesi's House, Mets Merized Online, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The iYankees Blog
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Craig Calcaterra / Circling The Bases:
Source: The Jeter marriage thing is bogus — I'm hearing word that the whole Derek-Jeter-getting-married thing is baloney. The story: it's Derek Jeter's sister Sharlee Jeter. — Not sure if that's true or not, but (a) the person saying it is in a position to probably know; and (b) …
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Minor League Transactions — The transactions update you've been clamoring for is here . . . in part. This installment takes us up through the end of 2009. We'll get caught up next week. — Bear in mind that these transactions updates come directly from the horse's mouth.
Dareh Gregorian / New York Post:
Amazin' blame game — 'Fan's fault' defense — Maybe they should post signs: Beware of Falling Fat Fans. — A woman who says her back was broken when a 300-pound drunk dropped on top of her at a Mets game should have been looking up, instead of watching the action on the field, the team suggests in court filings.
