Top News:
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Source: Okajima will be non-tendered — BOSTON — The Red Sox do not plan to tender a contract to left-handed reliever Hideki Okajima, a club source said Wednesday night. — Okajima, who was paid $2.8 million in 2010 ($2.75 million in salary, an additional $50,000 in performance bonuses), is arbitration-eligible.
Discussion:
River Avenue Blues, Boston Globe, MetsBlog.com, Toeing the Rubber, NESN.com and Over the Monster
RELATED:
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Red Sox caught up in Russell Martin dealings — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — Tonight's deadline to tender arbitration doesn't hold a great deal of suspense as far as Red Sox [team stats] players are concerned. — What happens with the Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Russell Martin is another story.
Discussion:
Dodgers Blog, MLB Rumors, True Blue LA, VIN SCULLY IS MY HOMEBOY and Halos Heaven
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Red Sox Re-Sign Jason Varitek — The Red Sox re-signed catcher Jason Varitek to a one-year, $2MM deal, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. MLB.com's Peter Gammons adds that the deal has $300K in incentives. — Varitek, 39 in April, will return for a 15th season in Boston.
Discussion:
SOX & Dawgs and NESN.com
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Sources: Red Sox meet Crawford, Werth
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Red Sox Monster, SBNation.com, Fanhouse MLB Blog, Over the Monster and NESN.com
Christina Kahrl / Baseball Prospectus:
A Dirty Half-Dozen — As I gear up for my latest dose of fun …
Discussion:
Cincinnati Reds Blog
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Source: New York Yankees willing to better initial Derek Jeter offer — The New York Yankees informed Derek Jeter's agent, Casey Close, on Thursday that the team was willing to improve its original three-year, $45 million offer, according to a baseball official who was told of the exchange.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and The LoHud Yankees Blog
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NY Daily News:
After meeting with Brian Cashman, Derek Jeter isn't any closer to new deal with Yankees: sources — Despite what was apparently a happenstance face-to-face meeting on Tuesday, the Yankees and Derek Jeter still appear to be far apart in their effort to reach a deal.
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily, Bats and It's About The Money
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:
Yahoo! Sports, SULLY BASEBALL, MLB Rumors, Fanhouse MLB Blog and El Lefty Malo
RELATED:
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:
baseballmusings.com and The Giants Baseball Blog
David Waldstein / Bats:
Takahashi and Angels Close to a Deal — Hisanori Takahashi, a versatile pitcher for the Mets in 2010, is close to agreeing to a multiyear deal with the Los Angeles Angels pending a physical, according to an executive with knowledge of the situation. — Takahashi, a left-handed pitcher …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, MetsBlog.com, Mets Merized Online and Halos Heaven
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
John Maine likely won't receive contract offer from Mets; Angel Pagan, R.A. Dickey should get deals — John Maine's five-year career as a Met will likely end Thursday, when the team is expected to non-tender the pitcher, making him a free agent. — Angel Pagan, R.A. Dickey …
Discussion:
Mets Fever
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Doug Padilla / ESPN:
Chicago White Sox exercise option on Alexei Ramirez — The Chicago White Sox made it official Thursday, exercising the $2.75 million option on Alexei Ramirez, but the end of Bobby Jenks' career with the Sox may be near. — According to a source with knowledge of White Sox business …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Yahoo! Sports
Fox Sports:
Why Rangers don't need to pay Lee — 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. — If I were the Rangers, I would almost want to lose Cliff Lee. — Don't get me wrong, Lee would be a tremendous asset.
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball and MLB.com
John Romano / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays may be better off punting on 2011, building for future — As of now, the Rays are still contenders in the American League East. — Even without Carl Crawford. Even without Rafael Soriano. Even without Carlos Peña and Joaquin Benoit.
Discussion:
Rays Index
Fran Spielman / Chicago Sun Times:
Wrigley finance proposal has struck out — Cubs need to find different plan for park renovation — The Cubs' plan to use 35 years' worth of amusement-tax growth to finance a $200 million renovation of Wrigley Field — and back-stop the bonds with a 2 percent hotel tax — is dead, sources said Wednesday.
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue and HardballTalk
Mark Feinsand / NY Daily News:
Rangers make house call to Cliff Lee in Arkansas, but lefty ace likely won't make decision soon — The Rangers made a another house call on Cliff Lee in Arkansas Wednesday, trying to convince the lefthander to stay in Texas. — But while the Rangers are hopeful that Lee's positive experience this season …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online and IT IS HIGH!
Marty Noble / MLB.com:
Overlooking McGriff for Hall would be crime — First baseman was feared slugger with numbers to prove it — Contrary to an increasingly widespread perception, the Braves teams of the mid-90s didn't win regularly by scores of 1-0 and 2-1. A member of their Cy Young staff occasionally required …
Mike Petriello / Baseball Prospectus:
Fantasy Beat — Hot Spots: Relief Pitchers — As Mr. McQuown and Mr. Jong have so ably mentioned earlier this week, we're back with a fantasy focus on this winter's moves. Since this is fantasy-specific, I suppose it's time to take off the “saves and wins are pointless” …
Discussion:
Mike Scioscia's tragic illness, ESPN and Texas Rangers
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.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and baseballmusings.com
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