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Christian Red / NY Daily News:
Closer Mariano Rivera to sign two-year, $30 million deal with New York Yankees by Friday night — Punta Cana, Dominican Republic - Yankee fans rejoice: “Enter Sandman” will blissfully be heard for two more years in the Bronx. — According to a source familiar with the negotiations between …
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The LoHud Yankees Blog, The Sommer Frieze, The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, Yankeeist, River Avenue Blues, ESPN, Subway Squawkers, Bronx Baseball Daily, The Joy of Sox, Respect Jeter's Gangster, The iYankees Blog, Blogging The Bombers, lenNY's Yankees, Yahoo! Sports, Fanhouse MLB Blog, NESN.com and My Pinstripes
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Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Source: If Boston Red Sox landed Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Papelbon was out — BOSTON — The Red Sox offered reliever Mariano Rivera a two-year, $30 million deal and were prepared to non-tender closer Jonathan Papelbon, according to a baseball source with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
Discussion:
TYU, HardballTalk, Full Count and Sliding Into Home
Andrew Marchand / ESPN:
Brian Cashman rappels 22-story building … STAMFORD, Conn. — Wearing a spiked wig with a black bandana featuring white skulls, an unshaven Brian Cashman, the New York Yankees general manager, rappelled from the side of a 22-story building at dawn Friday. — He had no net, just a safety harness …
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog and Mets Today
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Sox deal remains Beltre's preference — Adrian Beltre is ready to make a deal. He hopes something can still get done with the Red Sox. — The All-Star third baseman flew from Los Angeles to the Dominican Republic yesterday to lend his support to a charity event hosted by David Ortiz.
Discussion:
SBNation.com, Full Count, Associated Press, ESPN and Boston Herald
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Busy Time for Yankees: Rivera, Dodgers, Crawford — The standoff between Derek Jeter and the Yankees has captured baseball's attention, but away from the spotlight, Brian Cashman, the team's general manager, and Randy Levine, the team's president, have been busy elsewhere, negotiating a major contract …
Discussion:
Bombers Beat and The LoHud Yankees Blog
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Rivera and Yanks Near Two-Year Deal
Discussion:
Pinstriped Bible …, Sons of Steve Garvey and ESPN
Andrew Marchand / ESPN:
Source: Yankees, Mariano Rivera agree
Discussion:
The Captain's Blog and Chicago Breaking Sports
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Beltre hopes to return to Red Sox
Discussion:
SFGate, Surviving Grady, MLB Rumors, NESN.com and sox1fan.com
ESPN:
Source: Jason Varitek back in Boston
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The Bottom Line, SawxBlog, Boston Globe and baseballmusings.com
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Ron Santo dead at 70 — Chicago Cubs icon failed to reach Hall of Fame — Ron Santo (left) and Billy Williams at the Cubs' spring training camp in 1971. (Tribune archive photo) — Legendary Chicago Cubs player and broadcaster Ron Santo died Thursday night in Arizona. He was 70.
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Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Cubs great Ron Santo dies at 70 — Iconic Cubs player and broadcaster Ron Santo, beloved by fans for his on-air cheers and groans as he was for his 13-year, All-Star playing career, has died. — He succumbed to complications from bladder cancer Thursday in Arizona after falling into a coma, according to multiple reports.
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Seattle Times, AZ Snakepit and JSOnline
Richard Goldstein / New York Times:
Ron Santo, Stalwart for Cubs, Dies at 70 — Ron Santo, a star third baseman of the Chicago Cubs and their longtime broadcaster who became a revered figure for his exploits on the field and his battle against juvenile diabetes, died Thursday in a hospital in Arizona. He was 70.
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score
Fox Sports:
Cubs icon Santo dead at 70 — CHICAGO (AP) — Ron Santo, one of the greatest players in Chicago Cubs history and a longtime WGN radio announcer whose devotion to the perennial losers was made obvious night after night by his excited shouts or dejected laments, has died. He was 70.
Discussion:
ESPN
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Legendary Cubs Player and Broadcaster Ron Santo Dead at 70
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
USA Today:
Cubs legend Ron Santo dead at 70 — CHICAGO-the Chicago White Sox, clearing up money after spending $56 million on first baseman Adam Dunn and $8 million on catcher A.J. Pierznyski, traded veteran reliever Scott Linebrink to Atlanta for right-handed pitcher Kyle Cofield.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Amazin' Avenue and BronxBanterBlog.com
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Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Report: White Sox, Dunn agree to four-year pact
Discussion:
Nationals Inquisition and Britt's Bird Watch
Adam Kilgore / Nationals Journal:
Adam Dunn agrees to four-year contract with White Sox
Discussion:
The Nationals Enquirer, Nats320, The Goessling Game, Mr. Irrelevant … and Nationals Daily News
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
White Sox Sign Adam Dunn
Discussion:
TYU, Sabernomics, NESN.com, Federal Baseball and SBNation.com
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Blue Jays Not Close To Signing A.J. Pierzynski
Discussion:
Batter's Box Interactive …
Joe Cowley / Chicago Sun Times:
White Sox finalize deal with slugger Adam Dunn: sources
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Blue Jays Acquire Carlos Villanueva — The Blue Jays have acquired Carlos Villanueva from the Brewers for a player to be named later, according to the team's Twitter page. The 27-year-old right-hander posted 11.4 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 52 2/3 innings of relief last year.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Bluebird Banter and Al's Ramblings
David Appelman / FanGraphs Baseball:
2011 Fan Projection Ballots Now Open! — The 2011 Fan Projections ballots are now open for you to project your favorite players! — Last year we ran the first annual Fan Projection ballot here on FanGraphs and you responded with over 50,000 ballots to make the project a huge success!
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Chris Haft / MLB.com:
Giants ink Fontenot, non-tender Ray, Velez — SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants tendered contracts on Thursday to each of their eight arbitration-eligible players but one: right-hander Chris Ray, whom they still hope to sign to a Minor League deal. — Utilityman Eugenio Velez also was not tendered a contract.
Discussion:
McCovey Chronicles
Lyle Spencer / MLB.com:
Angels sign Takahashi to two-year deal — ANAHEIM — The Angels announced on Thursday night that they have signed left-hander Hisanori Takahashi to a two-year deal in a move that provides protection in both the rotation and bullpen. — “Our expectation is that he'll fit in very nicely …
Discussion:
Mets Fever
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