Top News:
Wallace Matthews / ESPN:
Source: Yanks will overpay Derek Jeter — Derek Jeter is going to be paid Ryan Howard money for putting up Marco Scutaro numbers. — “The Yankees are going to overpay him,” said a source with intimate knowledge of the discussions between the team and Casey Close, Jeter's agent.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, MLB Rumors, HardballTalk, NESN.com and lenNY's Yankees
RELATED:
Christian Red / NY Daily News:
Jorge Posada plans to be starting catcher, says Yankees should wrap up Derek Jeter contract talks — He is entering the last year of his four-year, $52.4 million contract, and he's logged a lot of miles on his 39-year-old body. — But when blue-chip Yankee catching prospect Jesus Montero's name …
Discussion:
Pinstriped Bible, HardballTalk, Sliding Into Home, Subway Squawkers, BronxBanterBlog.com, TYU, LADY AT THE BAT and River Avenue Blues
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Yankees touch base with Cliff Lee, face competition from Brewers …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball and NESN.com
Associated Press:
Report: Yankees call Cliff Lee's agent
Report: Yankees call Cliff Lee's agent
Discussion:
mlbbuzz, The Captain's Blog, MLB Rumors, USA Today, Bronx Baseball Daily, Mets Merized Online, MetsBlog.com and River Avenue Blues
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Yankees Start the Wooing of Lee Immediately
Yankees Start the Wooing of Lee Immediately
Discussion:
Pinstripe Alley, NoMaas.org and New Jersey Online
Richard Sandomir / Bats:
ESPN Breaks Up ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ Team — ESPN ended its 20-year association with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan as the voices of “Sunday Night Baseball” on Monday. They declined to renew Morgan's contract and have asked Miller if he wants to stay on as the radio voice of the Sunday night games.
Discussion:
NESN.com, HardballTalk, Can't Stop The Bleeding, Fenway West, Fanhouse MLB Blog, River Avenue Blues, 6-4-2 and The Big Lead
RELATED:
MLB:
Jon Miller, Joe Morgan not returning — Jon Miller and Joe Morgan's 21-year run on ESPN's “Sunday Night Baseball” is over. — Morgan's contract is expiring and he will not be renewed. Miller's contract is also expiring though he may remain at ESPN working the “Sunday Night Baseball” series and postseason baseball for ESPN Radio.
Discussion:
Over the Monster
George / Fox Sports:
Why would Uggla reject Marlins' offer? — Dan Uggla will have some options now that he turned down Florida's latest offer. — Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on MLB on FOX. Follow him on Twitter.
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Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Source: Red Sox eye Jayson Werth — BOSTON — The Red Sox, as expected, have contacted agent Scott Boras regarding their interest in free-agent outfielder Jayson Werth, according to a baseball source. — There was no word yet on whether the team was pursuing outfielder Carl Crawford, although that would appear to be a no-brainer.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, Phillies Nation and NESN.com
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
2011 Top 50 Free Agents — It's time for the fifth annual MLB Trade Rumors Top 50 Free Agents list! The entire list of available free agents can be found here. — A note before we begin - this is a complicated puzzle, and I'll be satisfied if I'm correct on a quarter of these guesses.
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, Bucs Dugout and Pirates Prospects
Michael Baron / MetsBlog.com:
Mets Hire Paul DePodesta as VP — The Mets have hired Paul DePodesta as Special Assistant to the General Manager, and he will serve as Vice President of player development and amateur scouting. — DePodesta had been serving as a special assistant to the baseball operations department for the San Diego Padres.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Kranepool Society
RELATED:
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Clint Hurdle, Don Wakamatsu, Tim Teufel and Ken Oberkfell on Sandy Alderson's interview list — The Mets' managerial search returns to New York Tuesday, when GM Sandy Alderson will begin another series of meetings with candidates. The team has not yet made a schedule public …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, MetsBlog.com, Fanhouse MLB Blog and Mets Merized Online
MLB.com:
Mets name Paul DePodesta Vice President, Player Development & Amateur Scouting
Mets name Paul DePodesta Vice President, Player Development & Amateur Scouting
Discussion:
New York Magazine
Maureen Mullen / Comcast SportsNet:
Source: Mets to interview Red Sox coach DeMarlo Hale for manager's job
Source: Mets to interview Red Sox coach DeMarlo Hale for manager's job
Discussion:
Boston Globe, The House That Dewey Built, MLB Daily Dish and New York Post
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
A's win bidding for Japan's Iwakuma — The Oakland A's have taken another step in filling out one of the game's most intriguing starting rotations in winning the bidding for Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, SI.com has confirmed. — Agent Don Nonura tweeted Monday that the A's had won …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Baseball-Reference Blog and Kranepool Society
RELATED:
Aaron Gleeman / NBCSports.com:
A's win exclusive rights to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma
A's win exclusive rights to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma
Discussion:
SFGate, HardballTalk, Mets Merized Online, NESN.com and Halos Heaven
Jeff Sullivan / Lookout Landing:
A's Win Rights To Hisashi Iwakuma?
A's Win Rights To Hisashi Iwakuma?
Discussion:
Baseball Time in Arlington, U.S.S. Mariner, Seattle Times and Athletics Nation
Jon Paul Morosi / Fox Sports:
Washburn considering MLB comeback — Although he didn't pitch this year, left-hander Jarrod Washburn never formally announced his retirement. — That was probably wise. — Washburn told FOXSports.com on Monday that he is considering a comeback. — “I honestly am very happy …
Discussion:
JSOnline, MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
Charlie Samuels / Yahoo! Sports:
Derrek Lee has surgery on his right thumb — has had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, an injury that appeared to limit his production for much of the 2010 season. — Lee, who turned 35 in September, is expected to recover in advance of spring training.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Talking Chop and Chicago Breaking Sports
Peter J. Nash / haulsofshame.com:
CHIN MUSIC: Doubleday Docs Missing; Bud Selig a Big Fan of Abner; More on Bogus Mantle Jerseys; Halper, “Father of LOA's” —Abner Doubleday never played a role in the development of our “National Pastime,” but thanks to A.G. Spalding and the Mills Commission of 1905 …
Discussion:
Joe Posnanski and Deadspin

