Top News:
Andrew Baggarly / Extra Baggs:
UPDATED: Giants and Pat Burrell agree to discounted, one-year contract (10) — UPDATED: This file was rewritten at 8:50 p.m. with confirmation, plus more info on the signing. — A couple hours ago, I was on KNBR with Ralph and Tom and told them that Pat Burrell wasn't a front-burner priority …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, SULLY BASEBALL, Fanhouse MLB Blog and El Lefty Malo
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Henry Schulman / San Francisco Chronicle:
Pat Burrell gets 1-year deal with SF Giants — Pat Burrell, the local boy, is staying put. — Burrell and the Giants have reached agreement on a one-year contract, The Chronicle has confirmed. The value was not immediately available. — Burrell, 34, was a major contributor …
Discussion:
The Giants Baseball Blog
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Red Sox gunning for top outfield target — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — By all accounts, the Red Sox [team stats] are working hard behind the scenes to sign one of the two elite free agent outfielders, Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth.
Discussion:
ESPN, Over the Monster, SOX & Dawgs, USA Today, SBNation.com, Boston Globe, HardballTalk, NESN.com, Yahoo! Sports, Rays Index, MLB Rumors and Fanhouse MLB Blog
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Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Sources: Red Sox meet Crawford, Werth — BOSTON — Just days before Monday's opening of baseball's winter meetings, the Boston Red Sox have stepped up their pursuit of the two free-agent outfielders at the top of their list, Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, meeting with both players and their agents, according to sources.
Associated Press:
Yankees' Aceves breaks bone in bike accident — NEW YORK (AP) — New York Yankees relief pitcher Alfredo Aceves is expected to miss the start of spring training after breaking his left collar bone in a bicycle accident in Mexico. — The Yankees say Aceves had surgery Tuesday in New York.
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George A. King III / New York Post:
Rangers set to push Yankees with 5-year bid for Lee — Tweet — Armed with the belief the Yankees are willing to pay Cliff Lee $23 million a year, the Rangers are on the verge of making an official offer to retain the left-handed free-agent hurler. — According to a person with knowledge …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, NoMaas.org, River Avenue Blues, Fanhouse MLB Blog and MLB Rumors
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Richard Durrett / ESPN:
Nolan Ryan, GM met with Cliff Lee
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, SBNation.com and Lone Star Ball
Wallace Matthews / ESPN:
Source: New York Yankees think Cliff Lee wants offers next week
Discussion:
Postcards from Elysian Fields, Bronx Baseball Daily, The LoHud Yankees Blog and MLB Rumors
Adam McCalvy / MLB.com:
Crew GM wants to accelerate talks with Weeks — MILWAUKEE — The Brewers would love to lock up second baseman Rickie Weeks with a multiyear contract extension, but they're having trouble getting those talks started, general manager Doug Melvin said this week.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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Jeff Gordon / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Adding Theriot should help Cards refocus — The Cardinals had enough talent to dominate lesser teams last season. They didn't, so they missed the playoffs. — Why did they lose so many games they should have won? — Pitching injuries forced the team to get by with three quality starters for much of the season.
Discussion:
Viva El Birdos, Fungoes and HardballTalk
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
D'Backs To Sign Wily Mo Pena — The Diamondbacks will sign Wily Mo Pena to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league Spring Training, MLBTR has learned. The outfielder drew interest from multiple major league teams, including the Tigers, White Sox and Orioles.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
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Alex Speier / Full Count:
Wily Mo Pena signs minor league deal with Arizona Diamondbacks
Discussion:
AZ Snakepit
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies trying to sign former all-star Lance Berkman — In the Rockies' search for a big bat to enhance their lineup, the team is aggressively pursuing veteran slugger Lance Berkman. — Berkman, a switch-hitter and former all-star, is coming off a disappointing season with the Astros and Yankees.
Discussion:
Purple Row, MLB Rumors and Fanhouse MLB Blog
Pete Carroll Show / MyNorthwest.com:
Ask Pete Carroll a question... Join us... Facebook — Twitter — Brock Huard — Brock Huard played football for his father, Mike, at Puyallup High School before moving on to the University of Washington. There Brock erased older brother Damon's name on several season and career passing records.
Discussion:
Mariners blog, Mets Merized Online, Lookout Landing, MLB Rumors, MetsBlog.com and U.S.S. Mariner
Richard Durrett / ESPN:
Rangers have some interest in Mark Prior — The Rangers signed Mark Prior to a minor-league deal just before the end of the 2010 season and he pitched just one inning at Triple-A Oklahoma City (he gave up no runs on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts).
Discussion:
Fanhouse MLB Blog, MLB Rumors and Chicago Breaking Sports
Ronald Blum / Associated Press:
Stimulant exemptions in MLB virtually unchanged — NEW YORK—Major League Baseball granted 105 exemptions for otherwise-banned stimulants in the last year because of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, virtually unchanged from the previous year's total.
Susan Slusser / SFGate:
Updated Dunn information - no meeting took place — UPDATE: The A's and Adam Dunn did not meet yesterday, I am now told - my original source, usually reliable, led me to believe that such a meeting took place in Houston, but, it seems, there were only discussions about meeting there and they did not happen.
Discussion:
Nationals Journal, Federal Baseball, SBNation.com, HardballTalk, MLB.com, Fanhouse MLB Blog and MLB Rumors
Kelly Thesier / MLB.com:
Inbox: If signed, where will Nishioka play? — Beat reporter Kelly Thesier answers questions from Twins fans … If the Twins are able to sign Tsuyoshi Nishioka, would they put him in at shortstop or second base for the 2011 season? — Nishioka can play both positions and has won …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Pirates Interested In Bartlett, Hardy — The Pirates would like to upgrade at shortstop and are interested in Jason Bartlett and J.J. Hardy, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Pirates would like to upgrade over Ronny Cedeno before the 2011 season starts and Hardy and Bartlett appear to be available.
Discussion:
mlbbuzz, Bucs Dugout and Orioles Insider
Frank Gore / Yahoo! Sports:
Memo to Selig: Leave the playoffs alone — Almost all of the power brokers at Major League Baseball, an entity that could use a visit to the ophthalmologist for its short-sightedness, burst with pleasure at the idea of expanding the game's postseason. Publicly, they tout the excitement …
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, Federal Baseball, baseballmusings.com and Sabernomics
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Craig Calcaterra / NBCSports.com:
The real reason for expanded playoffs
Discussion:
BBTF's Baseball Primer …
