Top News:
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.
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.
Duk / Yahoo! Sports:
They're out! Joe Morgan and Jon Miller nixed from ESPN Sundays — The imperative that Ken Tremendous and Co. jokingly turned into Internet legend has now actually been realized. Starting in 2011, ESPN's “Sunday Night Baseball” will be Joe Morgan free. — Celebrate, lovers of broadcasts free of ego-driven inanity, celebrate!
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and The Good Phight
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.
RELATED:
Christian Red / NY Daily News:
Jorge Posada plans to be starting catcher, says Yankees should wrap …
Discussion:
Pinstriped Bible, HardballTalk, BronxBanterBlog.com, Sliding Into Home, LADY AT THE BAT, Subway Squawkers, TYU and New York Times
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Yankees touch base with Cliff Lee, face competition from Brewers …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball and NESN.com
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:
Associated Press:
DePodesta Joins Alderson in Mets Front Office — NEW YORK (AP) — Paul DePodesta is joining Sandy Alderson in the New York Mets' front office, the second high-profile hiring by the new general manager. — DePodesta, the former GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was hired as vice president …
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Clint Hurdle, Don Wakamatsu, Tim Teufel and Ken Oberkfell …
Discussion:
Seattle Times, Fanhouse MLB Blog, MLB Rumors, MetsBlog.com and Mets Merized Online
Kuiperfan / Joe Posnanski:
History Lessons With Bud — Look, I like Bud Selig. Veteran readers of this blog will know that when I start that way — with “I like Person X” — that usually follows with me attempting to then skewer Person X. Well, I can't help it. I do like Bud. I like him for two main reasons, I think.
Discussion:
The Mighty Quinn Media Machine and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
RELATED:
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:
Athletics Nation, Kranepool Society, Baseball-Reference Blog and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Jane Lee / MLB.com:
A's win bidding for Japan's Iwakuma
Discussion:
Marinerds, etc., Mariners blog and Lone Star Ball
Aaron Gleeman / NBCSports.com:
A's win exclusive rights to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma
Discussion:
SFGate, HardballTalk, Mets Merized Online and NESN.com
Jeff Sullivan / Lookout Landing:
A's Win Rights To Hisashi Iwakuma?
Discussion:
Seattle Times, U.S.S. Mariner 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, HardballTalk and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
MLB.com:
Blue Jays complete coaching staff for 2011 — The Toronto Blue Jays announce the following additions to the coaching staff of manager John Farrell for the 2011 season. Joining Brian Butterfield, Third Base Coach, & Bruce Walton, Pitching Coach, will be Don Wakamatsu, Bench Coach …
Discussion:
Britt's Bird Watch
RELATED:
Ken Fidlin / Toronto Sun:
Jays fill out coaching staff — Blue Jays manager John Farrell's first Blue Jay coaching staff is a mix of old and new that respects the need for continuity as well as inviting the need for a fresh approach. — Farrell had previously locked up pitching coach Bruce Walton …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
Tim Kurkjian / MLB:
Source: Tsuyoshi Nishioka to be posted — Tsuyoshi Nishioka, a 26-year-old middle infielder for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League in Japan, will be posted for MLB teams this week, a source close to the situation said Monday. — Nishioka won the Pacific League batting title this year with a .346 average.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Rumors and Britt's Bird Watch
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, MLB Daily Dish, Bucs Dugout and Pirates Prospects
RELATED:
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Source: Red Sox eye Jayson Werth
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs, Phillies Nation, Over the Monster, MLB Daily Dish, Pirates Prospects, NESN.com and Fox Sports
Sports Illustrated:
Potential free-agent busts (Pavano, Wood) and bargains (Garland, Lee) … No teams want to make a mistake in free agency, as a bad contract can hamper a franchise for years (although the world champion Giants overcame bad deals for Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand). Nobody wants to add the wrong person to their clubhouse, either.
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home and MetsBlog.com
