Top News:
Bruce Levine / ESPN:
Source: Aramis Ramirez to Brewers — Former Chicago Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez will sign a three-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, pending a physical, according to a source familiar with the situation. — Ramirez played the last eight-plus seasons with the Cubs.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish, JSOnline, SI Tracking Blog, The LoHud Yankees Blog and FanGraphs Baseball
RELATED:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Brewers To Sign Aramis Ramirez — Aramis Ramirez will sign a three-year contract with the Brewers, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports expects the contract to be in the $34-37MM range and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports believes to about $36MM.
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball, U.S.S. Mariner and MLB.com Hot Stove Blog
Chuck Schilken / LA Times Sports Blog:
Bill Plaschke: Ryan Braun needs to follow his own advice — In the winter of 2009, when news leaked that the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for a performance enhancing drug, he was faced with a decision. — Fight it or admit it? — Before Rodriguez made his choice …
Discussion:
Dodgers Blog
RELATED:
Teri Thompson / NY Daily News:
Ryan Braun's initial PED test results were ‘insanely high,’ NL MVP's lawyer insists client did not take PEDs
Discussion:
Brew Crew Ball, Tedquarters, FanGraphs Baseball, Amazin' Avenue, HardballTalk, Fox Sports, JSOnline and MLB Rumors
Fox Sports:
Source says Braun's test not for PED
Source says Braun's test not for PED
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Baseball Prospectus, JSOnline and New York Times
Dirk Hayhurst:
Ryan Braun, And Why It Wont Matter In a Year.
Ryan Braun, And Why It Wont Matter In a Year.
Discussion:
Gaslamp Ball, baseballmusings.com, JSOnline, ESPN.com and Baseball Nation
Tom Haudricourt / JSOnline:
Source: Braun didn't take PED
Source: Braun didn't take PED
Discussion:
Mike Scioscia's tragic illness, Baseball Prospectus, Lasorda's Lair, Baseball Nation, ESPN and HardballTalk
Bill Shaikin / Dodgers Blog:
BBWAA: No plan to strip Ryan Braun of MVP
BBWAA: No plan to strip Ryan Braun of MVP
Discussion:
JSOnline and SI Tracking Blog
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Blue Jays Acquire Ben Francisco — The Blue Jays acquired outfielder Ben Francisco from the Phillies for minor league lefty Frank Gailey, announced the team. The Jays also designated reliever Jesse Chavez for assignment. — Francisco, 30, hit .244/.340/.364 in 293 plate appearances for the Phillies this year.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, MLB Daily Dish, Crashburn Alley and Bluebird Banter
RELATED:
Joey Nowak / MLB.com:
Blue Jays trade with Phillies for Francisco — Toronto gets outfielder in exchange for pitcher Gailey in swap — The Blue Jays acquired outfielder Ben Francisco from the Phillies on Monday, in a trade that sent pitcher Frank Gailey to Philadelphia. — The 30-year-old Francisco appeared …
Discussion:
Batter's Box Interactive …
Tom Singer / MLB.com:
D-backs bring back Ransom on Minors deal
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Non-Tender Candidates — I initially published my non-tender candidates list on November 14th, and since then many of the 54 players I mentioned have been removed from 40-man rosters or traded. Below is my revised list in advance of tonight's 11pm central time deadline.
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com, Drunk Jays Fans and Bless You Boys
RELATED:
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Non-Tender Tracker — On average, each MLB team currently has about six arbitration eligible players. I count 188 in total, from the White Sox and Astros with two each to the Giants with a dozen. This winter, arbitration eligible players are those with at least two years and 146 days …
Discussion:
El Lefty Malo and DRaysBay
Enrique Rojas / MLB:
Manny Ramirez seeks another chance — MIAMI — Manny Ramirez acknowledged that he has made many mistakes in his life and he seeks a new chance to show that he has changed. — In an exclusive interview with ESPN Deportes, Ramirez said it was a mistake to have used banned performance-enhancing substances …
Discussion:
The Heater Feed, Babes Love Baseball, HardballTalk, LADY AT THE BAT and MLB Rumors
Chris Jaffe / Hardball Times:
The Cooperstown case for Tim Raines — It's that time of the year again: Hall of Fame voting season. This month, the decade-long members of the BBWAA fill out their ballots for who belongs in Cooperstown. — There are many candidates on this year's ballot, and many would make perfectly fine Hall of Famers.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and THE BOOK
Michael Silverman / Boston Herald:
Sox stick with approach — Little tweaks often can go a long way — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email — One of these days, the Red Sox [team stats] will make a trade, sign a free agent and fill out their coaching staff. — In the meantime, all signs point toward …
Discussion:
FanGraphs Baseball and MLB Rumors
RELATED:
Fox Sports:
Taxing issue for Red Sox in offseason
Taxing issue for Red Sox in offseason
Discussion:
Over the Monster, HardballTalk and Boston Globe
Joe Capozzi / Fish Tank blog:
Marlins catcher John Buck helps rescue two women from overturned car — Think the Marlins front office had an eventful week last week in Dallas? Consider Marlins catcher John Buck's week. — He started the week by bagging a trophy-class deer (209 points on the Boone & Crockett scale) on a hunting trip in south Texas.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Dallas Morning News:
Jon Daniels: ‘Very realistic’ that C.J. Wilson would've returned had Rangers matched Angels' offer — Texas Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels appears at spring training in Surprise, Ariz., Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011. — of — Long before Newport Beach native C.J. Wilson signed …
Discussion:
Baseball Time in Arlington and baseballmusings.com
