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.
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, The House That Dewey Built, Boston Dirt Dogs and YFSF
ESPN:
Source: Red Sox to ink Carl Crawford
Discussion:
Red Sox Beacon, Batter's Box Interactive …, It's About The Money and MLB
Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:
Boston Signs Carl Crawford
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Joy of Sox, Getting Blanked, USA Today and Baseball Analysts
Associated Press:
Crawford Gets $142M Deal With Red Sox
Discussion:
New Jersey Online and Associated Press
Mark Saxon / ESPN:
LAA to eventually land Carl Crawford?
Discussion:
Fox Sports, NY Daily News, NESN.com, DRaysBay, sox1fan.com, HardballTalk, Full Count, NY Post: Hardball, 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
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ESPN:
Sources: Yanks offer Cliff Lee 7 years … The New York Yankees on Thursday have gone to a seventh year on their offer to Cliff Lee, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney and ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand. — Sources told ESPNNewYork.com and ESPN.com that the original offer to Lee was for six years and $140 million.
Discussion:
Bats, Kranepool Society and HardballTalk
NY Daily News:
Lupica: Yanks offer World to Lee, make Jeter beg
Discussion:
Texas Rangers and The Joy of Sox
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Not our job: Cliff Lee rep won't give Texas Rangers number
Discussion:
HardballTalk and ESPN
Ben Shpigel / New York Times:
Yankees Offer Cliff Lee $140 Million
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk, BronxBanterBlog.com, IT IS HIGH! and Bats
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 …
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Greg Johns / MLB.com:
Mariners nab reliever with second pick of Rule 5 — Right-hander Flores, 21, plucked from Indians' farm system — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Right-hander Jose Flores, a 21-year-old relief pitcher in the Cleveland Indians' farm system, was selected by the Mariners with the second pick …
Discussion:
Lookout Landing
John Manuel / Baseball America:
Rodriguez Leads Off Active Rule 5 — Nineteen players selected in major league phase — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.—Familiarity does not breed contempt in the Rule 5 draft. It breeds draft picks. — The Pirates held the No. 1 overall selection, and general manager Neal Huntington reached …
Discussion:
MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com, The LoHud Yankees Blog and Tedquarters
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
The Rule 5 Draft — Baseball's Rule 5 Draft was held this morning …
Discussion:
ESPN, MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com and The Good Phight
Bill Shaikin / Los Angeles Times:
Steve Garvey as would-be suitor for Dodgers — The former All-Star says he has an investment group that wants the team, but Frank McCourt responds that he would turn away all potential buyers. — Steve Garvey, one of the most popular players in Dodgers history, said Wednesday he has assembled …
Discussion:
VIN SCULLY IS MY HOMEBOY and Los Angeles Times
RELATED:
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
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:
Royals Review, BronxBanterBlog.com, MLB Rumors and River Avenue Blues
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Astros Reach Agreement With Ryan Rowland-Smith — The Astros reached an agreement on a one-year deal with lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith, reports Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle. Rowland-Smith will join Nelson Figueroa and others in a competition for the team's fifth starter job.
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
RELATED:
Zachary Levine / Houston Chronicle:
Astros add three pitchers, including former Rice star
Discussion:
Full Count
CBSSports.com Sports News, Fantasy Scores …:
Twins to ship Hardy to Baltimore — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Having spent much of the week looking for a shortstop, the Orioles have found one: The Twins have agreed to send J.J. Hardy and infielder Brendan Harris to Baltimore in exchange for minor-league pitchers Brett Jacobson and Jim Hoey.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, AaronGleeman.com, Twinkie Town and Full Count
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, MLB, Full Count, MetsBlog.com and MLB Rumors
