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, TYU, LA Times Sports Blog, MLB Rumors, The Sommer Frieze, Mets Merized Online, New York Post, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Bronx Baseball Daily, The Good Phight, Pinstripe Alley, MetsBlog.com, lenNY's Yankees, Phillies Nation, Sliding Into Home, NESN.com, Lookout Landing, Fanhouse MLB Blog, 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:
YFSF, Sabernomics, TYU, FanGraphs Baseball, Amazin' Avenue, sox1fan.com, Beyond the Box Score, The Nats Blog, baseballmusings.com, Red Sox Beacon, Yankeeist, Over the Monster, Bronx Baseball Daily, HardballTalk, 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, HardballTalk, The Good Phight, Phillies Nation, Sports Illustrated, Pinstripe Alley, South Side Sox, Federal Baseball, Talking Chop, GoatRiders of the Apocalypse, Viva El Birdos, Lookout Landing, MLB Daily Dish, Royals Review, The700Level.com, New Jersey Online, The Zo Zone, Crossing Broad, River Avenue Blues, lenNY's Yankees, Boston Globe, Texas Rangers, MLB Rumors and Sports Illustrated
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 …
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
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:
Beyond the Box Score, Red Reporter, Can't Stop The Bleeding, FanHouse, Yankeeist, Mets Merized Online, Fanhouse MLB Blog, 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:
Bats, NY Daily News, Associated Press, HardballTalk, YFSF, BOSTON IRISH and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
NY Daily News:
Martino: Lee might've been better taking the money
Martino: Lee might've been better taking the money
Discussion:
Texas Rangers and Crossing Broad
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Cliff Lee's return simply stunning
Cliff Lee's return simply stunning
Discussion:
Seamheads.com, Faith and Fear in Flushing and Batter's Box Interactive …
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Possible Fits For Joe Blanton
Possible Fits For Joe Blanton
Discussion:
Mike Silva's …, Royals Review and JSOnline
Ted Berg / Tedquarters:
Hold it together — Fun fact: If you asked me yesterday …
Hold it together — Fun fact: If you asked me yesterday …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Mets Merized Online and Patrick Flood
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
New York Post:
Yankees left lacking after losing Lee again
Yankees left lacking after losing Lee again
Discussion:
ESPN, Seattle Times, The Seattle Times, MLB.com, The Joy of Sox, Full Count, Yankeeist and NY Daily News
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
Tyler Kepner / New York Times:
Phillies Come Out of Nowhere in Winning Bid for Lee
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:
Bluebird Banter, Bronx Baseball Daily and MLB Rumors
USA Today:
Stunner: Cliff Lee headed back to Phillies
Stunner: Cliff Lee headed back to Phillies
Discussion:
New York Times, Subway Squawkers, Phillies Nation and Babes Love Baseball
Adam Kilgore / Nationals Journal:
Nationals ‘aggressively pursuing’ …
Nationals ‘aggressively pursuing’ …
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, The Goessling Game, Federal Baseball, MLB Rumors and MLB
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN:
Sources: Cliff Lee to return to Phillies
Sources: Cliff Lee to return to Phillies
Discussion:
Athletics Nation and ESPN
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, which is contingent on a physical and will not be made official until Martin does so, were not immediately available.
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:
True Blue LA, New Jersey Online and Chicago Breaking Sports
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
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 and BronxBanterBlog.com
ESPN:
Source: Yanks to sign Russell Martin
Source: Yanks to sign Russell Martin
Discussion:
BronxBanterBlog.com, VIN SCULLY IS MY HOMEBOY and MLB
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Yankees take risk on Martin; Albers on Sox radar
Yankees take risk on Martin; Albers on Sox radar
Discussion:
MLB Rumors