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, Toeing the Rubber, NESN.com, MetsBlog.com and Over the Monster
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Red Sox sign Varitek for one year — The Red Sox have signed Jason Varitek to a one-year deal worth $2 million according to a baseball source The deal includes $300,000 in incentives that likely would be based on how often he plays. — It seems apparent now that the Red Sox are prepared …
Discussion:
Fanhouse MLB Blog and The Mighty Quinn Media Machine
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, True Blue LA, VIN SCULLY IS MY HOMEBOY, MLB Rumors and Halos Heaven
Jon Paul Morosi / Fox Sports:
Three teams show interest in Werth — At this time of year, markets shift quickly. But right now, the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers are seen as the most serious suitors for free agent outfielder Jayson Werth, according to major-league sources.
Discussion:
ESPN and MLB Rumors
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:
BronxBanterBlog.com and SOX & Dawgs
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Sources: Red Sox meet Crawford, Werth
Discussion:
The House That Dewey Built, Red Sox Monster, Over the Monster, SBNation.com 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:
NY Daily News, Bronx Baseball Daily, MLB Rumors, Sliding Into Home and The LoHud Yankees Blog
RELATED:
Michael S. Schmidt / Bats:
Yankees Improve Their Offer to Jeter — The Yankees and Derek Jeter have moved at least a little closer to a deal, according to a person in baseball briefed on the status of the negotiations. — On Wednesday, Jeter's agent, Casey Close, and Yankees executives talked, and the Yankees improved their offer, the person said.
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
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:
McCovey Chronicles, baseballmusings.com and The Giants Baseball Blog
RELATED:
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
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
RELATED:
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, Yahoo! Sports and Bluebird Banter
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
Ted Berg / Tedquarters:
Steve Phillips still talking, still shouldn't be — Even though he's moved on from ESPN, Steve Phillips is still doing the goofy “pretend I'm a real-life GM” thing. Only now he's not at a podium taking scripted questions from fake press, he's sitting in front of a bookshelf talking to a webcam …
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding
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
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
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!
Joe Janish / Mets Today:
Free Agent Focus: Minor Leaguers — The list of minor league free agents was published on Baseball America a few weeks ago, but it wasn't celebrated with quite the pomp and circumstance of the beginning of MLB free agency. — Yet, there likely will be much more activity by the Mets …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com
