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:
BronxBanterBlog.com, MLB Rumors, HardballTalk, LA Times Sports Blog, The Sommer Frieze, The LoHud Yankees Blog, MetsBlog.com, Mets Merized Online, Bronx Baseball Daily, The Good Phight, Pinstripe Alley, lenNY's Yankees, baseballmusings.com, 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.
Discussion:
Sabernomics, YFSF, Amazin' Avenue, baseballmusings.com, Tedquarters, Yankeeist, Bronx Baseball Daily, FanGraphs Baseball, Over the Monster, TYU, The Nats Blog, HardballTalk, The Joy of Sox, Red Sox Beacon, Rays Index, Full Count, Red Sox Monster, Al's Ramblings, Halos Heaven, The iYankees Blog and DRaysBay
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.
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, Talking Chop, HardballTalk, Sports Illustrated, South Side Sox, Federal Baseball, MLB Daily Dish, The Good Phight, GoatRiders of the Apocalypse, Viva El Birdos, Lookout Landing, Royals Review, The Zo Zone, New Jersey Online, The700Level.com, Phillies Nation, Crossing Broad, River Avenue Blues, baseballmusings.com, Boston Globe, lenNY's Yankees, Texas Rangers, MLB Rumors and MLB.com
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:
River Avenue Blues, Sports Illustrated, Yankeeist, Projo Sox Blog, Cincinnati Reds and Beyond the Box Score
NY Daily News:
Martino: Lee might've been better taking the money — In signing with Phillies, Cliff Lee chases memory of World Series run, but he may regret decision — Tuesday, December 14th 2010, 4:00 AM — Cliff Lee returns to Philadelphia where he faces the Yankees in the 2009 World Series …
Discussion:
New York Post, Texas Rangers, Full Count, Crossing Broad and SNY
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:
HardballTalk, USA Today, NY Daily News, BOSTON IRISH, YFSF and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
Dave Cameron / FanGraphs Baseball:
Best. Rotation. Ever?
Best. Rotation. Ever?
Discussion:
Can't Stop The Bleeding, Beyond the Box Score, Yankeeist, TYU, Fanhouse MLB Blog, Mets Merized Online, FanHouse, HardballTalk 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, Phillies Nation and Projo Sox 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:
Bluebird Banter, Bronx Baseball Daily and MLB Rumors
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
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
Adam Kilgore / Nationals Journal:
Nationals ‘aggressively pursuing’ …
Nationals ‘aggressively pursuing’ …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Federal Baseball, The Goessling Game and MLB Rumors
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
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.
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Aaron Gleeman / HardballTalk:
Yankees sign catcher Russell Martin to one-year contract — Moving on quickly after Cliff Lee turned them down, the Yankees “have agreed to terms on a contract with Russell Martin,” according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. It's believed to be a one-year deal, although the Yankees …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, BronxBanterBlog.com and Boston Globe
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:
Pinstriped Bible … and Full Count
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.
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards reach agreement with Laird as Molina's backup — The Cardinals have completed their 25-man puzzle by agreeing with free agent catcher Gerald Laird on a one-year contract, pending Laird passing a team physical. — Laird, 31, has appeared in eight major-league seasons and served …
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish and MLB Rumors
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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