Top News:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Red Sox Agree To Sign Carl Crawford — The Red Sox started the Winter Meetings with a splash and they won't leave before making another blockbuster addition. Boston has agreed to a seven-year, $142MM deal with Carl Crawford, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).
RELATED:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Red Sox agree to terms with Crawford — A Major League source has told the Globe the deal is for seven years and $142 million. — More to come. — UPDATE, 12:28 a.m. The deal came to fruition late tonight according to a Major Source with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
Discussion:
The Big Lead, Full Count, Fanhouse MLB Blog, Surviving Grady, The LoHud Yankees Blog and The Joy of Sox
Ken Rosenthal / mlbbuzz:
Do we have our mystery team? — Before signing Carl Crawford, the Red Sox may have engaged in some good old-fashioned negotiating hijinks. — It would be just like the Sox to throw a monkey wrench into the Yankees' attempt to sign Cliff Lee — And this little stunt, if it indeed happened, would have qualified.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, NESN.com, New Jersey Online, River Avenue Blues, Mike Silva's … and The Nationals Enquirer
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Sox sign up Crawford for $142m — Seven-year contract lands top position player on market — New Red Sox Gold Glove left fielder Carl Crawford is Tampa Bay's career leader in batting average, doubles, triples, stolen bases, and runs. (Ezra Shaw/File/Getty Images)
Discussion:
New York Post, The Soxaholix, Boston Dirt Dogs, The House That Dewey Built and YFSF
ESPN:
Source: Red Sox to ink Carl Crawford — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona called left-fielder Carl Crawford a game-changer. Turns out he may have been guilty of understatement. — Between the multitalented Crawford, who came to terms Wednesday night on a seven-year …
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Red Sox Beacon, Batter's Box Interactive …, It's About The Money and MLB
Associated Press:
Crawford Gets $142M Deal With Red Sox
Discussion:
New Jersey Online and Boston Globe
Mark Saxon / ESPN:
LAA to eventually land Carl Crawford?
Discussion:
Fox Sports, DRaysBay, NESN.com, sox1fan.com, HardballTalk, Full Count, MLB Rumors, Boston Globe and Associated Press
Fox Sports:
Source: Yanks make formal offer to 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. — Get ready. — Cliff Lee, the biggest prize on this year's free-agent market …
Discussion:
New York Post, HardballTalk, Mike Silva's …, Texas Rangers and NESN.com
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Marlins attempted trade for Greinke — 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. — LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — The Zack Greinke talk just keeps getting hotter.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, FishStripes and Full Count
ESPN.com:
Source: Yanks offer Cliff Lee 7 years — The New York Yankees on Thursday have gone to a seventh year on their offer to Cliff Lee, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. The total dollar amount of the offer is unknown. — SI.com first reported that the Yankees added a seventh year to their offer.
Discussion:
ESPN and Chicago Breaking Sports
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Yankees Offer Cliff Lee $140 Million
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, BronxBanterBlog.com, HardballTalk and IT IS HIGH!
Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com:
Clubs seek diamond in rough in Rule 5 Draft — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — In a perfect world, teams would take the relatively low risk of making a selection in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft and uncover a Johan Santana, Josh Hamilton, Joakim Soria or Dan Uggla. — But while the Rule 5 Draft …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Red Reporter, Bleed Cubbie Blue, By Gosh, It's Langosch, AZ Snakepit and U.S.S. Mariner
RELATED:
MLB.com:
2010 Rule 5 Draft results … The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB …
Discussion:
NESN.com
John Manuel / Baseball America:
Rule 5 Buzz Builds — ORLANDO—Thursday's Rule 5 draft may not start with Rays righthander Aneurys Rodriguez, but the former Rockies righthander appears to be the most likely player to be selected. — Rodriguez already fit the profile as a somewhat prospecty pitcher with four full seasons …
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
The Rule 5 Draft — Baseball's Rule 5 Draft was held this morning …
Discussion:
ESPN, Kranepool Society and The Good Phight
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Sources: Cubs targeting Matt Garza — Officials from the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs met for the second time during the Winter Meetings on Wednesday night to discuss the parameters of a trade that would send right-handed pitcher Matt Garza to Chicago for a number of the Cubs' top prospects, according to multiple sources.
Discussion:
Federal Baseball, DRaysBay, MetsBlog.com, Full Count, MLB and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Jon Paul Morosi / Fox Sports:
Royals getting in on the winter fun — Melky Cabrera will be back in the AL again after signing with Kansas City.
Discussion:
Getting Blanked, Royals Review, BronxBanterBlog.com, MLB Rumors and River Avenue Blues
RELATED:
David Murphy / Philly.com:
Source: Phillies, LHP Reyes reach agreement — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Phillies reached an agreement last night with veteran lefthander Dennys Reyes, pending a physical, for a 1-year contract worth $1.1 million, with a $1.35 million club option for 2012, with various performances bonuses …
Discussion:
Philliesflow.com and The Good Phight
RELATED:
Jim Salisbury / CSNPhilly.com:
Shooting for the moon, Amaro considers Greinke
Discussion:
New York Post, Phillies Nation, The700Level.com, The Good Phight and Full Count
ESPN:
Steve Garvey says he has group interested in buying Los Angeles Dodgers — Former Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey says he has put together an investment group interested in buying the team, the Los Angeles Times reported. — The future of the Dodgers was thrown into doubt …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, baseballmusings.com and espnW
RELATED:
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Steve Garvey as would-be suitor for Dodgers
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies look to lock up CarGo — Monfort says the team is willing to sign star outfielder to a new long-term deal — ORLANDO, Fla. — The Rockies are willing to give Carlos Gonzalez an unprecedented contract for a player with barely two big-league seasons on his resume.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and HardballTalk
RELATED:
