Top News:
Trsullivan / Postcards from Elysian Fields:
Cliff Lee is going to Philadelphia Phillies — The Rangers were told Monday night that Lee is going to the Phillies, It is a done deal — YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! (RC)^2 (Ar See Squared) Roy-Roy-Cole-Cliff. The Phantastic Phour! YESSSSS!!!!!!
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, BronxBanterBlog.com, HardballTalk, New York Post, The Sommer Frieze, LA Times Sports Blog, TYU, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Bronx Baseball Daily, The Good Phight, MetsBlog.com, Mets Merized Online, Pinstripe Alley, baseballmusings.com, lenNY's Yankees, Sliding Into Home, NESN.com, Lookout Landing, The700Level.com, The Zo Zone and Baseball Time in Arlington
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Phillies Agree To Sign Cliff Lee — The wait is over. In a surprising development that leaves two top American League teams empty-handed, Cliff Lee has agreed to sign a five-year, $120MM deal with the Phillies. The contract includes a $27.5MM vesting option for 2016 with a $12.5MM buyout, plus partial no-trade clause.
Fox Sports:
Phillies still bidding for prize ace — 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. — The Yankees and Rangers are not alone. — The Phillies are still bidding for free-agent left-hander Cliff Lee …
Discussion:
Hardball Times, Sports Illustrated, South Side Sox, GoatRiders of the Apocalypse, HardballTalk, The Zo Zone, Federal Baseball, MLB Daily Dish, The Good Phight, Royals Review, New Jersey Online, Viva El Birdos, Lookout Landing, The700Level.com, Phillies Nation, Crossing Broad, River Avenue Blues, baseballmusings.com, Boston Globe, lenNY's Yankees, Texas Rangers, MLB Rumors and MLB.com
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN.com:
Sources: Cliff Lee to return to Phillies — The numbers had been crunched and all the scenarios exhausted Monday night when Cliff Lee finally made his decision. — He picked up the phone, thanked Rangers general manager Jon Daniels for his time in Texas and revealed he was signing with the Philadelphia Phillies.
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Phillies swoop in and bring back Lee — ARLINGTON — Free-agent pitcher Cliff Lee is headed back to Philadelphia. — The Rangers worked as hard as they could to re-sign Lee, but their pursuit came to an end on Monday when he informed the club that he was signing with the Phillies.
Discussion:
Dallas Morning News, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Nationals Baseball, Fanhouse MLB Blog and Lone Star Ball
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Lee spurns Yanks, Rangers, returns to Phils … Almost a year after they traded him, Cliff Lee is headed back to the Philadelphia Phillies. — Lee, the most highly sought pitcher on this winter's free-agent market, turned down more lucrative offers from the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers …
Discussion:
Projo Sox Blog, River Avenue Blues, Sports Illustrated, Beyond the Box Score and Cincinnati Reds
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Cliff Lee's return simply stunning — Left is headed back to Philly, proving that he wasn't really after the biggest paycheck — Of all the crazy free-agent sagas in baseball history, where would we rank this one? — Of all the nutty, convoluted, out-of-the-wild-blue-yonder twists …
Discussion:
Seamheads.com, Faith and Fear in Flushing and Batter's Box Interactive …
New York Times:
Cliff Lee Accepts Late Bid by the Phillies — All along, the Yankees knew they were fighting the Texas Rangers for Cliff Lee. But they also had a sense of dread, a feeling that a stealth team might steal the latest pitcher of their dreams. They had reason to be worried.
Discussion:
New York Post, Full Count, BOSTON IRISH, YFSF and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:
Best. Rotation. Ever? — After a six week dance with New York and Texas, Cliff Lee has apparently decided to spurn them both and sign with the [Mystery Team] Philadelphia Phillies. If the Jayson Werth deal was a shocker, this one breaks the Richter Scale.
Discussion:
Mets Merized Online, FanHouse, HardballTalk, Fanhouse MLB Blog and ESPN
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Phillies Come Out of Nowhere in Winning Bid for Lee
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Phillies, Red Sox Discussed Joe Blanton
Phillies, Red Sox Discussed Joe Blanton
Discussion:
Clubhouse Insider, Full Count and Projo Sox Blog
USA Today:
Stunner: Cliff Lee headed back to Phillies
Stunner: Cliff Lee headed back to Phillies
Discussion:
New York Times, Phillies Nation, Subway Squawkers and Babes Love Baseball
Matthew Pouliot / HardballTalk:
Let's not pencil the Phillies into the World Series just yet
Let's not pencil the Phillies into the World Series just yet
Discussion:
Optimistic Mets Fan
David Waldstein / New York Times:
Darek Braunecker, Agent for Cliff Lee, Is Getting Noticed
Darek Braunecker, Agent for Cliff Lee, Is Getting Noticed
Discussion:
New York Yankees Fan Blog
Marc Carig / New Jersey Online:
Yankees waiting after making first offer to Cliff Lee
Yankees waiting after making first offer to Cliff Lee
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily and MLB Rumors
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Sources: Cliff Lee to return to Phillies
Sources: Cliff Lee to return to Phillies
Discussion:
ESPN and Athletics Nation
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Cliff Lee Rumors: Monday
Cliff Lee Rumors: Monday
Discussion:
BronxBanterBlog.com and Bugs & Cranks
Matt Forman / Baseball America:
Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects (How to subscribe)
Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects (How to subscribe)
Discussion:
Phillies Nation and The Good Phight
MLBReporters / MLB.com Hot Stove blog:
Yankees come to terms with Russell Martin — NEW YORK — The Yankees have agreed to terms on a contract with Russell Martin, multiple sources told MLB.com on Monday. Details of the deal were not immediately available, but it is expected to be announced at some point on Tuesday.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, baseballmusings.com, The LoHud Yankees Blog, NESN.com and Fanhouse MLB Blog
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Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Yankees agree to contract with Martin — NEW YORK — The Yankees have agreed to terms on a contract with free-agent catcher Russell Martin, multiple sources told MLB.com on Tuesday. Details of the deal were not immediately available, but it is expected to be announced at some point on Tuesday.
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Reach Agreement With Russell Martin — The Yankees have reached an agreement with catcher Russell Martin, reports MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. With Jorge Posada moving into a designated hitter role next year, Martin should be the Yankees' starting catcher.
Discussion:
Full Count
Adam Kilgore / Nationals Journal:
Nationals ‘aggressively pursuing’ trade for Zack Greinke and Matt Garza; but can they make it happen? — Once Cliff Lee signs — we can all only hope it happens before the next presidential election — the rest of this offseason's starting pitching dominoes can start to fall.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Federal Baseball, The Goessling Game and MLB Rumors
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Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Sources: New York Yankees, Texas Rangers unlikely Zack Greinke fits
Sources: New York Yankees, Texas Rangers unlikely Zack Greinke fits
Discussion:
Federal Baseball, Bronx Baseball Daily, HardballTalk, Pinstripe Alley, MLB Daily Dish and JSOnline
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Zack Greinke Rumors: Monday
Zack Greinke Rumors: Monday
Discussion:
TYU, AZ Snakepit, Sports Illustrated, HardballTalk and Bronx Baseball Daily
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
No deal yet in place for Blanton — According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.com, the Red Sox have “a deal in place” with Philadelphia to acquire RHP Joe Blanton. — A source told the Globe just now, however, that the Red Sox have not completed any deal and only discussed the idea.
Discussion:
Surviving Grady and YFSF
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Mets introduce Terry Collins' coaching staff, team still looking to add more diversity to club — Last Wednesday, final night of the winter meetings, Terry Collins stood in the lobby of the Dolphin Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. and said he was satisfied with the week …
Discussion:
Mets Fever
RELATED:
Anthony DiComo / MLB.com:
Wilson, Oberkfell among new Mets coaches
Wilson, Oberkfell among new Mets coaches
Discussion:
MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com, Faith and Fear in Flushing and Yahoo! Sports
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Pirates Talking With Lyle Overbay — The Pirates have been talking with free agent first baseman Lyle Overbay, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. He says it's not clear whether they're making progress on a deal. — The Pirates primarily used Garrett Jones at first base in 2010 …
Discussion:
Bucs Dugout
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Dodgers add three on Minor League deals — LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers on Monday announced the signings of three veterans to Minor League contracts with invitations to Major League camp. — Infielder Juan Castro, catcher JD Closser and utilityman Eugenio Velez have signed on …
Discussion:
Mike Scioscia's tragic illness, VIN SCULLY IS MY HOMEBOY and MLB Rumors
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