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, HardballTalk, MLB Rumors, TYU, LA Times Sports Blog, New York Post, The Sommer Frieze, Mets Merized Online, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Bronx Baseball Daily, MetsBlog.com, The Good Phight, Pinstripe Alley, lenNY's Yankees, Sliding Into Home, Fanhouse MLB Blog, NESN.com, Lookout Landing, The700Level.com, The Zo Zone and Baseball Time in Arlington
RELATED:
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, Tedquarters, Amazin' Avenue, TYU, baseballmusings.com, Yankeeist, Bronx Baseball Daily, The Nats Blog, Over the Monster, The Joy of Sox, HardballTalk, FanGraphs Baseball, Red Sox Beacon, Rays Index, Full Count, Red Sox Monster, Al's Ramblings, Halos Heaven, The iYankees Blog and DRaysBay
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, Pinstripe Alley, Talking Chop, HardballTalk, Sports Illustrated, South Side Sox, Federal Baseball, The Good Phight, GoatRiders of the Apocalypse, Viva El Birdos, Lookout Landing, MLB Daily Dish, Royals Review, The700Level.com, New Jersey Online, The Zo Zone, Crossing Broad, Phillies Nation, River Avenue Blues, Boston Globe, lenNY's Yankees, Texas Rangers, MLB Rumors, Sports Illustrated 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:
Sports Illustrated, River Avenue Blues, Projo Sox Blog, Yankeeist, Cincinnati Reds and Beyond the Box Score
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:
Can't Stop The Bleeding, Beyond the Box Score, Yankeeist, Fanhouse MLB Blog, Mets Merized Online, FanHouse, ESPN and HardballTalk
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, NY Daily News, BOSTON IRISH, YFSF and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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 …
NY Daily News:
Martino: Lee might've been better taking the money
Martino: Lee might've been better taking the money
Discussion:
New York Post, Texas Rangers, Full Count, Crossing Broad and SNY
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
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Phillies Come Out of Nowhere in Winning Bid for Lee
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
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
Adam Kilgore / Nationals Journal:
Nationals ‘aggressively pursuing’ …
Nationals ‘aggressively pursuing’ …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Federal Baseball, The Goessling Game, MLB 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
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
The Rangers are going after Adrian Beltre. Have they lost out on Cliff Lee?
The Rangers are going after Adrian Beltre. Have they lost out on Cliff Lee?
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, MLB Daily Dish, Lone Star Ball and Texas Rangers
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.
RELATED:
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.
Discussion:
Chicago Breaking Sports
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
Yankees Reach Agreement With Russell Martin
Discussion:
Pinstriped Bible … and Full Count
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
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