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1:40 PM ET, December 15, 2010

Ballbug

 Top News: 
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.
Discussion: HardballTalk
RELATED:
MLB.com:
Phillies sign Clliff Lee to five-year contract  —  Free agent left-hander Cliff Lee signed a five-year, $120 million contract with the Phillies, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.  Lee's contract has a vesting option for 2016 and includes an awards package.
Discussion: River Avenue Blues
Christian Red / NY Daily News:
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. showed interest in Pedro Martinez during winter meetings: source  —  Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has locked down his dream rotation for 2011, but is there room to add another ex-Phillie who happens to also be a multiple Cy Young Award winner?
Discussion: HardballTalk
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Phillies Asked About Pedro Martinez
Discussion: Tedquarters
Fox Sports:
King Felix should be untouchable  —  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 are free to inquire on Felix Hernandez, but the Mariners do not figure to move a pitcher …
Ken Davidoff / Newsday:
Ken Davidoff's baseball insider  —  The Cliff Lee aftermath, Andy Pettitte, Russell Martin and Hideki Matsui  —  Brian Cashman's mantra of the day was, “Plan B is patience,” and sometimes (not trading for Johan Santana) the Yankees have honored such a philosophy.  Other times (the A.J. Burnett signing) not so much.
RELATED:
Jon Heyman / Sports Illustrated:   Yanks, Prior ink minor-league deal
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Desmond would like to remain with Nationals  —  WASHINGTON — Shortstop Ian Desmond has heard his name mentioned in trade rumors, but he made it known on Tuesday that he wants to stay with the Nationals.  —  The Nationals have interest in Royals right-hander Zack Greinke and Rays right-hander Matt Garza.
RELATED:
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Zimmerman excited to have Werth in lineup
Associated Press:
Minimum salary rises to $414,000  —  NEW YORK — The lowest-paid players in the major leagues are getting a raise.  —  The minimum salary is rising by $14,000 to $414,000, the commissioner's office said Wednesday.  —  The minimum minor league salary for players on 40-man rosters for at least …
New York Post:
Yankees have survived worse hits than this  —  Tweet  —  The last time the unquestioned best starter on the market spurned the Yankees' lavish bid, he also went to an NL powerhouse to join an already elite rotation.  —  Greg Maddux rejected the Yanks after the 1992 season …
Discussion: It's About The Money
RELATED:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Astros Sign Dopirak, Gervacio  —  The Astros announced that they have signed first baseman Brian Dopirak and right-hander Sammy Gervacio.  Both players receive minor league contracts and invitations to big league Spring Training.  —  Dopirak is a former second round pick …
Discussion: The Crawfish Boxes
Nolan Carroll / Yahoo! Sports:
Navarro gets $1 million deal with Dodgers  —  LOS ANGELES (AP)—Free-agent catcher Dioner Navarro  —  agreed Tuesday to a $1 million, one-year contract with the Dodgers, bringing him back for a second stint in Los Angeles.  —  Navarro played for the Dodgers for parts of two seasons before being traded to Tampa Bay in June 2006.
RELATED:
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Navarro officially joins Dodgers
Discussion: Yahoo! Sports
John McGrath / The News Tribune:
Olerud a Hall of Famer?  No, but let's discuss it  —  A few weeks ago, I was asked how I thought John Olerud would fare in this year's Hall of Fame vote.  —  “Really?”  I said.  “John Olerud is eligible for induction this year?”  —  The question had been answered with that question.
Discussion: baseballmusings.com
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Dodgers To Sign Matt Guerrier  —  The Dodgers agreed to sign Matt Guerrier to a three-year deal, according to Newsday's Erik Boland (on Twitter).  The deal would be for $12MM over three years, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).  —  The right-hander joins Scott Downs …
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Casting an important vote for the first time  —  My first Hall of Fame ballot arrived in the mail earlier this month.  It has been sitting on my desk waiting to be mailed back.  —  When I started out covering baseball, I never imagined spending the requisite 10 years in the Baseball Writers' Association of America to get a vote.
Discussion: HardballTalk
Matt Slocum / Yahoo! Sports:
Joey Votto named Canada's top athlete  —  Joey Votto is the third Canadian to win baseball's MVP award.  —  Major League Baseball player Joey Votto  —  has been named the recipient of the 2010 Lou Marsh Award as Canada's top athlete.  —  The Cincinnati Reds first baseman had 37 home runs …
Discussion: The Baseball Zealot
Dallas Morning News:
Cowlishaw: Even without Cliff Lee, Rangers' pitching should be fine  —  Just six weeks ago, the Texas Rangers were this close to securing their place in World Series history.  The San Francisco Giants prevented that by beating Cliff Lee twice.  —  On Monday, the Rangers were this close …
Terez A. Paylor / Kansas City Star:
Finding the right deal for Greinke isn't easy  —  The Royals are still listening to offers for star pitcher Zack Greinke, but general manager Dayton Moore acknowledged Monday that dealing him isn't as easy as it would seem.  —  Oh, there are plenty of suitors — Toronto …
Discussion: Rany on the Royals and NoMaas.org
RELATED:
Terez A. Paylor / Kansas City Star:
Francoeur is full of hope as he joins Royals
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.
RELATED:
ESPN:
Source: Yanks sign Russell Martin
Ted Berg / Tedquarters:
Hold it together  —  Fun fact: If you asked me yesterday to predict the 2011 NL East winner, I would have said the Braves.  They have a bunch of good young hitters and a strong, durable front of the rotation.  —  Then last night, the Phillies signed Cliff Lee to a reported five-year, $120 million deal with a vesting option.
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 More News: 
Jayson Stark / ESPN:
Measuring Phillies' rotation historically
Jenifer Langosch / By Gosh, It's Langosch:
Pirates sign 1B Overbay
Discussion: MLB Rumors and Bucs Dugout
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Orioles To Sign Jeremy Accardo
Discussion: Bluebird Banter
Associated Press:
Reds announce Bruce contract
 Earlier Picks: 
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Mariners Sign Langerhans, Bautista, Gimenez, Ring
Discussion: Lookout Landing
Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Cards reach agreement with Laird as Molina's backup
 

 
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