Top News:
Fox Sports:
Source: Detroit, Martinez near 4-year deal — FOX Sports — The first major free agent is about to fall. — Catcher Victor Martinez is close to signing with the Tigers, a source confirms. — Ignacio Serrano, a reporter for Venezuela's El Nacional, reported that Martinez will receive a four-year, $50 million contract.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Purple Row, Lone Star Ball, Over the Monster, Boston Globe and Chicago Breaking Sports
RELATED:
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com:
Tigers close to finalizing deal with Martinez — Free-agent catcher agrees to four-year, $50 million contract — One Venezuelan superstar deserves another. — That's a formula the Tigers employed in pairing Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez, and a formula they'll apparently continue …
Discussion:
The Detroit Tiger Weblog and The Sommer Frieze
ESPN:
Reports: Victor Martinez to Tigers — Free-agent catcher Victor Martinez is bolting the Boston Red Sox to sign with the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple media reports on Tuesday. — Two weeks ago, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein expressed his strong interest in re-signing Martinez and third baseman Adrian Beltre.
Discussion:
Cursed To First and The Mighty Quinn Media Machine
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Martinez leaving Red Sox for Tigers — Victor Martinez is leaving the Red Sox for the Detroit Tigers, having accepted a four-year deal worth $50 million. — The story was broken out of Venezuela this morning by Ignacio Serrano of El Nacional. — Serrano reported that Martinez …
Discussion:
New York Yankees Fan Blog, SOX & Dawgs and USA Today
Alex Speier / Full Count:
Red Sox prepare for life without Victor Martinez
Discussion:
NBCSports.com, NESN.com, Projo Sox Blog, Bless You Boys and Fanhouse MLB Blog
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Tigers Close To Deal With Victor Martinez
Discussion:
Sabernomics and NESN.com
Scott Lauber / Boston Herald:
Victor Martinez close to signing with Tigers
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Associated Press
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Tigers Reach Agreement With Victor Martinez
Discussion:
NESN.com and Full Count
George A. King III / New York Post:
Cashman: ‘Nothing baffling’ about Jeter talks — Tweet — According to the Yankees, there hasn't been anything confusing about contract negotiations with Derek Jeter and his agent, Casey Close. — Close described the Yankees' negotiating strategy on Sunday as “baffling” …
Discussion:
Paul Daugherty, Subway Squawkers, CBS New York, The Sommer Frieze and BronxBanterBlog.com
RELATED:
Wallace Matthews / ESPN:
Arbitration likely for Yanks' Kerry Wood — NEW YORK — The New York Yankees are likely to offer arbitration to Kerry Wood, opening the door to a possible return in 2011 for the right-handed reliever to once again serve as the set-up man for Mariano Rivera.
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, MLB Rumors and River Avenue Blues
Ken Rosenthal / mlbbuzz:
Why Yankees will offer J. Vazquez arbitration — The Yankees plan to offer salary arbitration to free-agent right-hander Javier Vazquez, but not because they want to retain him. — Vazquez, a Type B free agent, has agreed to reject the Yankees' offer, enabling the team to collect …
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues
New York Post:
In this numbers game, Derek's don't add up
Discussion:
The Captain's Blog and Subway Squawkers
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Baseball sources see Yankees offering arbitration to Derek Jeter …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Prefer To Offer Rivera One Year
Discussion:
TYU, Bronx Baseball Daily, Mike Silva's …, MLB Daily Dish, The LoHud Yankees Blog, lenNY's Yankees, NESN.com and River Avenue Blues
Fred Claire / MLB.com:
Mets made right managerial choice — Collins' inner fire was evident early in his baseball career — It was a bitterly cold April night in Waterbury, Conn., in 1973 and the farm director of the Los Angeles Dodgers was bundled up behind home plate as he watched his team's club …
Discussion:
NY Daily News and MetsBlog.com
RELATED:
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
How the Manager Search Went Down
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and OnTheBlack.com
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
New Mets manager Terry Collins mulls staff, may promote '86 hero …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Mets Fever and Mets Merized Online
David Waldstein / New York Times:
From Last Days With Angels to First Day at Citi Field
Discussion:
Faith and Fear in Flushing, New York Post and Mets Fever
Steve Popper / NorthJersey.com:
New manager Terry Collins will lay the groundwork
Discussion:
New York Post and New York Times
Richard Durrett / ESPN:
Rangers' Josh Hamilton wins AL MVP — Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton was named the American League Most Valuable Player on Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, becoming the franchise's fifth player to receive the honor. — Hamilton is the first Rangers player …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Bleed Cubbie Blue, Beyond the Box Score, Purple Row, DRaysBay and Batter's Box Interactive …
RELATED:
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Hamilton deemed to be AL's Most Valuable — League batting champion centerpiece of Rangers' resurgence — ARLINGTON — Josh Hamilton became the fifth Rangers player to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award on Tuesday, outpolling Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera …
Discussion:
Sliding Into Home
Jon Paul Morosi / Fox Sports:
Source: Giants nearing deal with Huff — The San Francisco Giants have agreed to a two-year contract with free-agent first baseman Aubrey Huff, major-league sources told FOXSports.com. The deal is pending a physical examination. — A source indicated that the guaranteed value of the deal will be close to $22 million.
RELATED:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Giants Re-Sign Aubrey Huff
Discussion:
Sabernomics and Chicago Breaking Sports
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Sports Agent's Loans to Poor Players Pose Concerns — The company of Scott Boras, baseball's pre-eminent agent, provided tens of thousands of dollars in loans and payments to the families of poor Dominican teenage prospects, according to people with ties to Mr. Boras, raising questions …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Mack's Baseball, Deadspin, NESN.com and Sox Machine
RELATED:
Steve Gilbert / MLB.com:
Towers: Nothing new on Upton trade front — D-backs listening to offers but no move is imminent — PHOENIX — All was quiet Monday on the Justin Upton trade front. — “Nothing new to report there,” said D-backs general manager Kevin Towers. — Towers created quite a stir last week …
Discussion:
Purple Row, HardballTalk, Fanhouse MLB Blog, MLB Rumors and NESN.com
Doug Harrison / CBC News:
Q&A: Larry Walker on NL MVP Joey Votto — Larry Walker, the first Canadian to win the NL MVP award in 1997, was 2010 winner Joey Votto's hitting coach at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. 'The talent was there, says Walker. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press) — Larry Walker didn't have an answer.
RELATED:
Mark Sheldon / MLB.com:
Teammates, front office thrilled for Votto
Discussion:
Babes Love Baseball, Pittsburgh Lumber Co., Red Reporter and Mark My Word
Jarrod Washburn / Yahoo! Sports:
Washburn draws interest despite sitting out 2010 — , the 36-year-old left-hander who sat out last season while considering retirement, continues to generate interest as a free agent, according to sources. — The Milwaukee Brewers, whose starters had the second-worst ERA in the National League …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, River Avenue Blues and NESN.com
John Manuel / Baseball America:
Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects (How to subscribe) — The American League Division Series almost obscured an otherwise storybook 2010 season for the Twins. — Minnesota opened Target Field and played home games outdoors for the first time since 1981.
Discussion:
Twinkie Town and Around the Majors
insidethebook.com:
Do great young players tend not to improve as they get older? — Warning: To the regulars on this site who are sabermetricians in their own right, this post is obvious. You can ignore it if you like. You DON'T need to tell us how obvious it is. There are many readers, lurkers …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
