Top News:
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, FanGraphs Baseball, baseballmusings.com, TYU, River Avenue Blues, Yankeeist, Bronx Baseball Daily, sox1fan.com, Sabernomics, Amazin' Avenue, Beyond the Box Score, Over the Monster, Full Count, New York Times, Rays Index, HardballTalk, The Nats Blog, Red Sox Beacon, Red Sox Monster, Al's Ramblings, Halos Heaven, The iYankees Blog and DRaysBay
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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, NESN.com, TYU, The Sommer Frieze, Mets Merized Online, Yankeeist, BronxBanterBlog.com, HardballTalk, LA Times Sports Blog, Pinstripe Alley, The Good Phight, The LoHud Yankees Blog, Fanhouse MLB Blog, Bronx Baseball Daily, New York Post, MetsBlog.com, lenNY's Yankees, Sliding Into Home, Lookout Landing, Phillies Nation, The Zo Zone, The700Level.com and Baseball Time in Arlington
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:
McCovey Chronicles, Crossing Broad and Texas Rangers
Ted Berg / Tedquarters:
Hold it together — Fun fact: If you asked me yesterday …
Hold it together — Fun fact: If you asked me yesterday …
Discussion:
Patrick Flood, Mets Merized Online and MetsBlog.com
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Possible Fits For Joe Blanton
Possible Fits For Joe Blanton
Discussion:
Mike Silva's …, JSOnline and Royals Review
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Lee spurns Yanks, Rangers, returns to Phils
Lee spurns Yanks, Rangers, returns to Phils
Discussion:
Sports Illustrated, River Avenue Blues, Projo Sox Blog, Beyond the Box Score and Cincinnati Reds
New York Times:
Cliff Lee Accepts Late Bid by the Phillies
Cliff Lee Accepts Late Bid by the Phillies
Discussion:
Bats, NY Daily News, HardballTalk, USA Today, Babes Love Baseball, Associated Press, YFSF, BOSTON IRISH and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com:
Phillies swoop in and bring back Lee
Phillies swoop in and bring back Lee
Discussion:
The LoHud Yankees Blog, Dallas Morning News, Nationals Baseball, Lone Star Ball and Fanhouse MLB Blog
New York Post:
Yankees left lacking after losing Lee again
Yankees left lacking after losing Lee again
Discussion:
Seattle Times, Mariners blog, ESPN, The Seattle Times, Yankeeist, Full Count, MLB.com, The Joy of Sox and NY Daily News
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Cliff Lee's return simply stunning
Cliff Lee's return simply stunning
Discussion:
Seamheads.com, Faith and Fear in Flushing, Batter's Box Interactive … and ESPN
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
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
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN.com:
Sources: Cliff Lee to return to Phillies
Sources: Cliff Lee to return to Phillies
Discussion:
MLB, New Jersey Online, Newsday, ESPN, ESPN, Pinstripe Alley, UmpBump.com, Subway Squawkers, OnTheBlack.com, The LoHud Yankees Blog, The Crawfish Boxes, The House That Dewey Built, Lookout Landing, It's About The Money, Pinstriped Bible …, Phillies Nation, Bats, NESN.com and HardballTalk
Fox Sports:
Phillies still bidding for prize ace
Phillies still bidding for prize ace
Discussion:
HardballTalk, The Zo Zone, Hardball Times, South Side Sox, Talking Chop, Pinstripe Alley, Phillies Nation, GoatRiders of the Apocalypse, The Good Phight, Federal Baseball, Sports Illustrated, Viva El Birdos, Lookout Landing, The700Level.com, New Jersey Online, MLB Daily Dish, Royals Review, Crossing Broad, lenNY's Yankees, River Avenue Blues, Boston Globe, Texas Rangers 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 and The Big Lead
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.
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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.
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Yankees take risk on Martin; Albers on Sox radar — The teams that were in on catcher Russell Martin certainly have some concern about the former All-Star's right hip, which suffered a fracture during last season. — The Red Sox are certainly aware of hip injuries after dealing with Mike Lowell's for a couple of years.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, NESN.com, Over the Monster 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:
BronxBanterBlog.com and baseballmusings.com
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Yankees Reach Agreement With Russell Martin
Yankees Reach Agreement With Russell Martin
Discussion:
Pinstriped Bible … and Full Count
ESPN:
Source: Yanks to sign Russell Martin
Source: Yanks to sign Russell Martin
Discussion:
BronxBanterBlog.com, VIN SCULLY IS MY HOMEBOY and MLB
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:
Yanks, Prior ink minor-league deal … The Yankees signed former No. 2 overall pick Mark Prior to a minor-league contract. — Prior, 30, hasn't pitched in the majors since his last year with the Cubs in 2006. If he rises back to the big leagues, Prior will earn $750,000, plus a possible $750,000 in incentives.
RELATED:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Yankees To Sign Mark Prior — It's not Cliff Lee, but the Yankees have added a big-name pitcher. The team agreed to sign Mark Prior to a minor league deal, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Prior will earn $750K in the major leagues and could earn $750K more in incentives …
Discussion:
Boston Globe, Bronx Baseball Daily, HardballTalk, Bleed Cubbie Blue and River Avenue Blues
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Pirates Moving Close To Agreement With Lyle Overbay — 11:44am: The Pirates are moving close to an agreement with Overbay, tweets Morosi. — 8:37am: 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.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and Bucs Dugout
RELATED:
Jenifer Langosch / By Gosh, It's Langosch:
Pirates sign 1B Overbay
Pirates sign 1B Overbay
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Raise the Jolly Roger and Bucs Dugout
Bill Lubinger / Plain Dealer:
To combat dwindling attendance, Cleveland Indians are shrinking their ticket prices — CLEVELAND, Ohio — Losing has its price. — For the Indians, the price of losing 190 games over the last two seasons — in a shrinking market — was the lowest attendance in baseball.
Joe McDonald / ESPN:
Source: Kevin Gregg, Baltimore Orioles close; Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals lingering — BOSTON — Right-handed reliever Kevin Gregg is close to signing a two-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles worth $12 million, according to a league source. — The Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals …
Discussion:
Full Count, MLB Rumors, Purple Row, MLB Daily Dish, HardballTalk and Associated Press
MLB:
Oakland Athletics seal deal with new designated hitter Hideki Matsui — OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics have landed their new designated hitter. — The A's and free agent slugger Hideki Matsui finalized a one-year contract Tuesday after he passed a physical.
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, Boston Herald, lenNY's Yankees and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
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:
Yahoo! Sports, FanGraphs Baseball and MLB Daily Dish
Associated Press:
Reds announce Bruce contract — CINCINNATI (AP) — The small-market Cincinnati Reds know they can't give long-term contracts to just anybody. — They believe Jay Bruce isn't just anybody. — General manager Walt Jocketty officially announced on Tuesday that the Reds and Bruce …