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:
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:
New York Times, Bats, HardballTalk and Kranepool Society
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.
Fox Sports:
Sources: Rangers to meet with Lee today — FOX Sports — LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — The Texas Rangers aren't conceding yet on Cliff Lee. — Rangers officials are traveling to meet with Lee in Arkansas today, and their intent is to increase their contract offer beyond five years, major-league sources told FOXSports.com.
Discussion:
Texas Rangers, The LoHud Yankees Blog and MLB Rumors
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
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, New Jersey Online, NESN.com, River Avenue Blues, Mike Silva's …, The Nationals Enquirer and Full Count
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
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Tilting the balance of power
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus and It's About The Money
ESPN:
Source: Red Sox to ink Carl Crawford
Discussion:
Batter's Box Interactive …, Red Sox Beacon, It's About The Money and MLB
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Not our job: Cliff Lee rep won't give Texas Rangers number
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Sliding Into Home and ESPN
Nick Collias / MLB Rumors:
Gonzalez: No Agreement In Place With Red Sox
Discussion:
NESN.com and FenwayNationWorld
NY Daily News:
Lupica: Yanks offer World to Lee, make Jeter beg
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox and Texas Rangers
Sports Illustrated:
Yanks up offer to Lee to seven years
Discussion:
Only Baseball Matters, Sportatorium and Sports Illustrated
Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:
Boston Signs Carl Crawford
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, The Joy of Sox, Getting Blanked, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and Baseball Analysts
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 …
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:
Rodriguez Leads Off Active Rule 5
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com and Tedquarters
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
The Rule 5 Draft — Baseball's Rule 5 Draft was held this morning …
Discussion:
Baseball America, ESPN 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:
GoatRiders of the Apocalypse, Federal Baseball, DRaysBay, MLB, MetsBlog.com, Full Count and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Breaking Sports:
Rehabbing Webb could be Cubs' next addition
Discussion:
St. Petersburg Times, MetsBlog.com and MLB Rumors
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:
Gaslamp Ball, 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
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:
Yahoo! Sports, TYU, Royals Review, BronxBanterBlog.com, MLB Rumors and River Avenue Blues
RELATED:
New York Post:
Jeter to break routine, work with Yankees coach in offseason — Tweet — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Derek Jeter does not admit failure easily in public. It is not part of his uber-confident persona. — But the Yankees captain is making a concession this offseason that intimates how intolerable he found his .270 season.
Discussion:
CSNPhilly.com and River Avenue Blues
RELATED:
Zachary Levine / Houston Chronicle:
Astros add three pitchers, including former Rice star — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Astros turned the No. 5 spot in the 2011 rotation into a free-for-all, agreeing to terms with pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith, according to a person with knowledge of the deal, and taking two more candidates in the Rule 5 draft.
Discussion:
Full Count
RELATED:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Astros Reach Agreement With Ryan Rowland-Smith
Discussion:
The Crawfish Boxes
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Mariners Reach Agreement With Miguel Olivo — The Mariners won't be going young at catcher anytime soon. Today they reached an agreement with backstop Miguel Olivo on a two-year, $7MM deal, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times notes, “Adam Moore's stock with this team appears to have taken a hit.”
Discussion:
The Seattle Times, Yahoo! Sports, Lookout Landing, U.S.S. Mariner and Mariners blog
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, Full Count, Twinkie Town and AaronGleeman.com
