Top News:
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:
HardballTalk, Full Count, TYU and Sliding Into Home
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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 …
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, The Sommer Frieze, The Mighty Quinn Media Machine, Yankeeist, Subway Squawkers, ESPN, River Avenue Blues, Bronx Baseball Daily, The Joy of Sox, Respect Jeter's Gangster, lenNY's Yankees, Blogging The Bombers, The iYankees Blog, Yahoo! Sports, Fanhouse MLB Blog, NESN.com and My Pinstripes
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
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:
The LoHud Yankees Blog and Bombers Beat
Michael S. Schmidt / New York Times:
Rivera and Yanks Near Two-Year Deal
Discussion:
Pinstriped Bible …, ESPN and Sons of Steve Garvey
Andrew Marchand / ESPN:
Source: Yankees, Mariano Rivera agree
Discussion:
The Captain's Blog and Chicago Breaking Sports
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.
Discussion:
Seattle Times, AZ Snakepit and JSOnline
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
Richard Goldstein / New York Times:
Ron Santo, Stalwart for Cubs, Dies at 70
Discussion:
Beyond the Box Score
Maury Brown / The Biz of Baseball:
Legendary Cubs Player and Broadcaster Ron Santo Dead at 70
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Gordon Edes / ESPN:
Adrian Gonzalez to Red Sox? — BOSTON — While their pursuit of free agents Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth has grabbed most of the attention, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has quietly been laying the groundwork for what could be the team's biggest offensive acquisition since Manny Ramirez.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, New Jersey Online, SBNation.com, NESN.com, SOX & Dawgs, HardballTalk, Over the Monster, Fanhouse MLB Blog and Associated Press
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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 and ESPN
Doug Miller / MLB.com:
Jenks, Martin, Okajima among 52 non-tenders — Baseball's annual non-tender deadline came and went late Thursday night, and the already-plentiful free-agency holiday stocking was stuffed with even more goodies. — Intriguing options all over the league will make the bidding season that much more heated …
Discussion:
Mike Scioscia's tragic illness, Gonzo and ‘The Show’ and River Avenue Blues
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Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Non-tenders: Howell, Aybar, Cormier, Navarro
Discussion:
Rays Index, DRaysBay and Al's Ramblings
Scott Merkin / MLB.com:
Report: White Sox, Dunn agree to four-year pact
Discussion:
Nationals Inquisition and Britt's Bird Watch
Fred Claire / MLB.com:
Murphy is Hall-worthy as person, player — Two-time NL MVP just as impressive off the field as on it — Dale Murphy finds himself on the Hall of Fame ballot for the 13th consecutive year, a reminder of the time that has passed since his 18-year Major League career ended in 1993.
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Bill Center / SignOnSanDiego.com:
Are the Padres signing S.D. native Aaron Harang? — Are the Padres replacing one native San Diegan in their starting rotation with another? — The club could be close to signing free agent right-handed starter Aaron Harang, according to two sources who declined to be identified because they are not authorized to speak on the matter.
Discussion:
MLB.com, MetsBlog.com, MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
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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, Al's Ramblings and Batter's Box Interactive …
Ben Goessling / The Goessling Game:
Ryan Zimmerman on Adam Dunn's departure — I just got off the phone with Ryan Zimmerman, who was making the rounds of phone calls back to reporters in the wake of the news Adam Dunn had signed a four-year deal with the Chicago White Sox. It's no secret Zimmerman and Dunn were close on and off the field …
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Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
White Sox Sign Adam Dunn
Discussion:
TYU, Sabernomics, NESN.com, Federal Baseball and SBNation.com
