Top News:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Sox add Jenks to the mix — The Red Sox firmly believe relief pitchers are not worth a contract of longer than two years. History shows such deals usually come to be regretted. — General manager Theo Epstein paid the steep price for his convictions yesterday when striking a deal with righthander Bobby Jenks.
Discussion:
SawxBlog, Chicago Breaking Sports and The Big Lead
RELATED:
ESPN:
Source: Red Sox to sign Bobby Jenks — Bobby Jenks is changing his Sox from white to red. — The former Chicago White Sox closer agreed to a two-year, $12 million with the Boston Red Sox, pending a physical, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
Discussion:
MLB.com, USA Today, SOX & Dawgs, Full Count, Fenway West, The Joy of Sox, baseballmusings.com, It's About The Money and NoMaas.org
Associated Press:
Yankees' Rivera admits joining Red Sox was ‘real’ possibility
Yankees' Rivera admits joining Red Sox was ‘real’ possibility
Discussion:
Boston Herald, ESPN, ESPN, Fanhouse MLB Blog and The Mighty Quinn Media Machine
Jennifer Floyd Engel / Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
No time to go stupid: Rangers have staff options
No time to go stupid: Rangers have staff options
Discussion:
Baseball Prospectus, Dallas Morning News and Lone Star Ball
Nick Cafardo / Boston Globe:
Source: Jenks deal pending physical
Source: Jenks deal pending physical
Discussion:
The House That Dewey Built, The Bottom Line, Lookout Landing, Yahoo! Sports, HardballTalk and Chicago Tribune
Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com:
Mo says Red Sox made pitch for his services
Mo says Red Sox made pitch for his services
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Full Count
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Red Sox To Sign Bobby Jenks
Red Sox To Sign Bobby Jenks
Discussion:
HardballTalk, MLB Daily Dish, NESN.com, SOX & Dawgs, Yankeeist and YFSF
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Red Sox interested in reliever Wheeler
Red Sox interested in reliever Wheeler
Discussion:
Associated Press, Yahoo! Sports, Boston Globe, HardballTalk and The House That Dewey Built
Gordon Wittenmyer / Chicago Sun Times:
Kerry Wood returns to Cubs for 1 year, $1.5 million — In a move that surprised even the Cubs, former staff ace and closer Kerry Wood agreed to return to his baseball roots and sign with his original team for one year, $1.5 million, according to a source. — In taking the below-market deal …
RELATED:
Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune:
Wood back in ‘family’ — Reliever signs 1-year deal for $1.5 million to return to Cubs — Kerry Wood with Ryan Dempster at Ron Santo's funeral. (Steve Green, Associated Press / December 10, 2010) — In what may be remembered as the Pizza Summit, Kerry Wood and Cubs general manager …
Mark Feinsand / Blogging The Bombers:
Source: Yankees “exploring” Rafael Soriano
Source: Yankees “exploring” Rafael Soriano
Discussion:
TYU, HardballTalk, Bronx Baseball Daily and River Avenue Blues
Fox Sports:
A's acquire Nats slugger Willingham — 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 A's, continuing their quest to upgrade their offense, have acquired outfielder Josh Willingham from the Nationals.
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com and Federal Baseball
RELATED:
Adam Kilgore / Nationals Journal:
UPDATED: Nationals agree to trade Josh Willingham to Athletics
UPDATED: Nationals agree to trade Josh Willingham to Athletics
Discussion:
NATS INSIDER, MLB.com, Federal Baseball, The Goessling Game, Mr. Irrelevant … and The Nationals Enquirer
Fox Sports:
A's in talks with Nats for Willingham
A's in talks with Nats for Willingham
Discussion:
Baseball America, Nationals Journal, Federal Baseball, Lookout Landing, Athletics Nation, mlbbuzz, SFGate and MLB Rumors
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
A's Acquire Josh Willingham
Enrique Rojas / MLB:
Edgar Renteria dislikes Giants' $1M offer — ORLANDO — Edgar Renteria understands the best part of his major league career is over and baseball is a business, but he still hoped for better treatment from the San Francisco Giants after helping the team to the World Series in October.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Fanhouse MLB Blog and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
Renteria: Giants' Offer Showed “A Lack Of Respect” — Edgar Renteria didn't care for the Giants' recent $1MM contract offer, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. “That offer from the Giants was a lack of respect. A total disrespect,” said Renteria. “To play for a million dollars …
Discussion:
The Fish Pond and Bugs & Cranks
Matt Eddy / Baseball America:
Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects (How to subscribe) — Omar Minaya seemingly could do no wrong in the early part of his tenure as Mets general manager. He lured premium free agents Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez and Billy Wagner to Queens with rich contract offers.
Discussion:
New York Post, Mets Merized Online and MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com
Stephen Nohlgren / St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa chamber agrees to take up Rays stadium debate — TAMPA — When the Tampa Bay Rays reached the World Series in 2008, Mayor Mike Nutter of Philadelphia picked up the telephone to propose a traditional wager with his counterpart in this region. — Let's see ... Tampa Bay ... that's area code 813, right?
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Rays Index
Chris Haft / MLB.com:
Hall won't beckon, but Rueter had fine career — Southpaw's tenure with Giants marked by reliability, winning — SAN FRANCISCO — Kirk Rueter knows he won't be enshrined in Cooperstown. But he'll remain entrenched as a success in San Francisco. — Rueter, who spent 10 …
Jerry Crasnick / ESPN.com:
Source: Detroit Tigers, Magglio Ordonez OK 1-year, $10M deal — Veteran outfielder Magglio Ordonez has reached agreement with the Detroit Tigers on a one-year, $10 million contract, a baseball source confirmed to ESPN.com. — Ordonez, 36, hit .303 with 12 home runs and 59 RBIs in 84 games …
Discussion:
Bless You Boys, TigerBlog, The Daily Fungo and Yahoo! Sports
RELATED:
Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Tigers To Re-Sign Magglio Ordonez
Tigers To Re-Sign Magglio Ordonez
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com, Tiger Tales, HardballTalk, Bless You Boys and Fanhouse MLB Blog
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
Nationals remain interested in adding Webb — WASHINGTON — The Nationals are not done looking for pitching. According to a baseball source, Washington continues to be in the mix to acquire right-hander Brandon Webb. The source said Webb is not in a hurry to make a decision.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, Fanhouse MLB Blog and HardballTalk
Pete Iorizzo / Albany Times Union:
Online bond shattered by tragic accident — When he didn't tweet about Cliff Lee, she knew something was wrong. — During the weekend Steven Smith had posted dozens of Twitter messages, a prolific output that his 578 followers had come to expect. — Smith lived in Scotch Plains, N.J., but place is moot in the Twitter universe.
Discussion:
It's About The Money, IT IS HIGH! and The Toy Department
Associated Press:
Rangers steal team-record nine bases in fifth straight loss — BOSTON — Darnell McDonald spent the day in Boston, hanging out just in case he was needed. A few hours later, he saved the Red Sox from another embarrassing loss. — McDonald, called up from the minors earlier in the day …
Discussion:
Over the Monster
Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
Rockies Looking At Aardsma, Balfour, Coffey — The Rockies have spoken to the Mariners about a possible David Aardsma trade, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Colorado has also shown interest in right-handers Grant Balfour and Todd Coffey, though Renck tweets that Balfour …
Discussion:
Mariners blog and JSOnline