Top News:
Marc Topkin / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Rays excited for Carl Crawford, but disappointed he'll end up in Boston — LAKE BUENA VISTA — For a day they knew was coming and an outcome that had been oft-speculated, the Rays still took the news a bit like a high-and-tight fastball that Carl Crawford wasn't just leaving, but going to the rival Red Sox.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
RELATED:
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:
The LoHud Yankees Blog and Texas Rangers
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, Bronx Baseball Daily, Bats, Kranepool Society and HardballTalk
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).
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Not our job: Cliff Lee rep won't give Texas Rangers number — LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The last time the Texas Rangers saw agent Darek Braunecker, they asked him precisely what it's going to take to bring the pitcher Cliff Lee back to Arlington in 2011. — After giving the matter careful …
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Sliding Into Home and ESPN
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Sox sign up Crawford for $142m
Discussion:
New York Post, The Soxaholix, Boston Dirt Dogs, The House That Dewey Built and YFSF
NY Daily News:
Lupica: Yanks offer World to Lee, make Jeter beg
Lupica: Yanks offer World to Lee, make Jeter beg
Discussion:
The Joy of Sox and Texas Rangers
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Tilting the balance of power
Tilting the balance of power
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus and It's About The Money
Ken Rosenthal / mlbbuzz:
Do we have our mystery team? — Before signing Carl Crawford …
Do we have our mystery team? — Before signing Carl Crawford …
Discussion:
New Jersey Online, HardballTalk, Yankees Daily, Mike Silva's …, NESN.com, River Avenue Blues, The Nationals Enquirer and Full Count
Nick Collias / MLB Rumors:
Gonzalez: No Agreement In Place With Red Sox
Gonzalez: No Agreement In Place With Red Sox
Discussion:
NESN.com and FenwayNationWorld
ESPN:
Source: Red Sox to ink Carl Crawford
Source: Red Sox to ink Carl Crawford
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Batter's Box Interactive …, Red Sox Beacon, It's About The Money and MLB
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 — 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:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com and Tedquarters
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Rule Five Wrap-Up
Matthew Cerrone / MetsBlog.com:
The Rule 5 Draft — Baseball's Rule 5 Draft was held this morning …
The Rule 5 Draft — Baseball's Rule 5 Draft was held this morning …
Discussion:
ESPN, Baseball America and The Good Phight
JSOnline:
Brewers have limit with Pavano — By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel — Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - The Brewers would like to add free agent right-hander Carl Pavano to their starting rotation. But if it's going to take more than a two-year deal to do it, don't look for Pavano to be wearing a Milwaukee uniform in 2011.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Breaking Sports:
Rehabbing Webb could be Cubs' next addition
Discussion:
St. Petersburg Times, MetsBlog.com and MLB Rumors
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Sources: Cubs targeting Matt Garza
Sources: Cubs targeting Matt Garza
Discussion:
GoatRiders of the Apocalypse, Federal Baseball, DRaysBay, MLB, MetsBlog.com, Full Count 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:
VIN SCULLY IS MY HOMEBOY and Gaslamp Ball
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
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:
Bronx Baseball Daily, River Avenue Blues and CSNPhilly.com
RELATED:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Twins Would Consider Trading Slowey
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, Getting Blanked, Royals Review, BronxBanterBlog.com, MLB Rumors 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
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:
Full Count, Twinkie Town, Yahoo! Sports and AaronGleeman.com
