Top News:
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Pirates, reliever Donnelly reach deal — Veteran righty expected to receive one-year, $1.5M pact — The Pirates agreed to terms on a one-year Major League contract with free-agent right-handed reliever Brendan Donnelly on Saturday, a Major League source confirmed to MLB.com.
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Dejan Kovacevic / PBC Blog:
Pirates, Donnelly agree to terms — The Pirates and free-agent reliever Brendan Donnelly have agreed to terms on a contract, pending a physical, according to a source directly involved in the negotiations. — More to come. — UPDATE 2:05 p.m.: A few more things: This will be for one year, but I do not have financial terms.
MLB.com:
Pirates sign D.J. Carrasco to minor league contract — The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced that they have signed right-handed pitcher D.J. Carrasco to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training as a non-roster player. — The 32-year-old Carrasco spent the entire 2009 season …
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN.com:
Source: Pittsburgh Pirates reach agreement with Brendan Donnelly — The Pittsburgh Pirates, adding another piece to an offseason bullpen revamp, reached a preliminary agreement with veteran reliever Brendan Donnelly on a one-year contract for about $1.5 million, a baseball source told ESPN.com.
David Waldstein / New York Times:
Minaya Dials Back Mets' Ire on Beltran — A day after the Mets sent an assistant to do verbal battle on the team's behalf, General Manager Omar Minaya was back in place Friday, trying to smooth over the strained relationship between the club and Carlos Beltran.
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Michael O'Keeffe / NY Daily News:
Howie Spira, the Bronx gambler who dug up dirt on Dave Winfield, is down on his luck — Derek Jeter got parades up the Canyon of Heroes for helping the Yankees win five World Series titles since 1996. Howie Spira may have played a bigger role in the Yankees' success, and what did he get? — Bupkis.
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Corey Brock / MLB.com:
Padres deal Kouz to A's for outfielders — San Diego reportedly set to receive Hairston, Cunningham — SAN DIEGO — The Padres and A's have reached agreement on a deal that would send San Diego third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff and Minor League infielder Eric Sogard to Oakland …
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Marksheldon / Mark My Word:
Masset gets two-year deal — Nick Masset avoided arbitration on Saturday by agreeing to a new two-year contract with the Reds through 2011. — The deal is worth $2.58 million in guaranteed money. The reliever will get $1.035 million in 2010 and $1.545 million in 2011. The are performance-based incentives as well.
Discussion:
MLB.com, Yahoo! Sports, Circling The Bases, MLB Rumors, Cincinnati Reds and Red Reporter
Fox Sports:
With rivals reeling, Giants whiffed — 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.
Discussion:
Mike Scioscia's tragic illness
Aaron Fitt / Baseball America:
Judge Rules Against Paxton — A Kentucky judge ruled Friday night that the University of Kentucky can withhold lefthander James Paxton from games until he meets with an NCAA investigator to clear up questions about his eligibility. — The Associated Press reported that Fayette County …
David Waldstein / New York Times:
Admission Doesn't Guarantee Entry — If one of Mark McGwire's objectives for confessing his use of performance-enhancing drugs was to help his Hall of Fame candidacy, he may need to find another approach. — Far removed from the number of votes necessary to gain enshrinement …
Philly.com:
Four Phils file for arbitration — It was simply a formality, but the Phillies four arbitration-eligible players were among 128 players who officially filed for salary arbitration on Friday. — Pitchers Joe Blanton and Chad Durbin, catcher Carlos Ruiz and outfielder Shane Victorino filed.
Discussion:
Phillies Nation
Dick Kaegel / MLB.com:
Gordon, Tejeda file arbitration paperwork — Players, Royals to exchange figures on Tuesday — KANSAS CITY — Third baseman Alex Gordon and pitcher Robinson Tejeda of the Royals were among 128 Major League players who filed for salary arbitration Friday.
