Top News:
ESPN:
Manny Ramirez says he'll join A's — Manny Ramirez told ESPN's Pedro Gomez on Monday that he has agreed to a deal with the Oakland Athletics. — Ramirez — Sources tell Gomez the deal is worth about $500,000. Ramirez is obligated to serve a 50-game suspension without pay before beginning play …
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, Plain Dealer, Athletics Nation, Deadspin, MLB Rumors, NESN.com and ESPN
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Fox Sports:
Source: A's agree to deal with Manny — The Oakland Athletics have signed Manny Ramirez to a minor-league deal for $500,000, according to a source. That is slightly more than the league minimum of $480,000. — The 39-year-old slugger must serve a 50-game suspension without pay …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Craig Calcaterra / HardballTalk:
Manny Ramirez signs with the Oakland Athletics — We've seen this coming for a while, but it appears to actually be happening now. Manny Ramirez is signing with the Oakland A's: … Ramirez will have to sit for 50 games due to his drug suspension, of course.
Discussion:
SI Tracking Blog and Blue Heaven
ESPN:
Yanks agree to deal with Ibanez, sources say — The New York Yankees have agreed to a one-year deal with Raul Ibanez worth $1.1 million plus incentives, baseball sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Monday morning. — Ibanez can make up to $4 million total with the incentives, the sources said.
Discussion:
NoMaas.org, MLB Daily Dish, It's About The Money, Bronx Baseball Daily and SI Tracking Blog
RELATED:
Bryan Hoch / MLB.com:
Yankees sign Ibanez to DH on one-year deal
Jim Callis / Baseball America:
2012 Aggregate Bonus Pools — As part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams are now assigned an aggregate signing bonus pool for their picks in the first 10 rounds of the draft. Each has a predetermined value, from $7.2 million for the No. 1 choice to $125,000 for pick No. 300 and any subsequent .
MLB:
Buster Posey told not to block plate — After a violent collision at home plate ended Buster Posey's season in May last season, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy has instructed his All-Star catcher to no longer block home plate when a player is trying to score.
Discussion:
Associated Press, NESN.com and SI Tracking Blog
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Henry Schulman / San Francisco Chronicle:
Giants tell Posey not to block plate this season
Giants tell Posey not to block plate this season
Discussion:
Deadspin, Only Baseball Matters and Baseball Nation
Ian Browne / MLB.com:
Crawford not ruling out return by Opening Day — Left fielder puts rough first season with Red Sox behind him — FORT MYERS, Fla. — For Carl Crawford, the final indignity of a season gone horribly wrong was that line drive off the bat of Robert Andino at Camden Yards that glanced off …
Discussion:
Boston Globe
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Mark Polishuk / MLB Rumors:
Rockies, Tracy Have “Handshake Agreement” On Extension — 6:51pm: Tracy confirmed the extension in an appearance on MLB Roundtrip with Jeff Joyce and Cliff Floyd on MLB Network Radio. Tracy said the deal will be re-evaluated after every season and he has “an opportunity to manage this club …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and HardballTalk
Associated Press:
Hamels wants long-term deal to stay with Phils — CLEARWATER, Fla. — Cole Hamels sounds like a guy who expects to finish his career in red pinstripes. — All that remains is for Hamels' agent, John Boggs, and the Philadelphia Phillies to agree on a long-term contract.
Andrew Marchand / ESPN:
Yanks' Rivera on retirement: I know, won't say — TAMPA, Fla. — Adding to a mystery that will last the whole season, 42-year-old Mariano Rivera arrived at spring training on Monday and said he knows if he will retire at the end of the season. However, he said he won't tell anyone.
Discussion:
Bronx Baseball Daily and Yahoo! Sports
Richard Griffin / Toronto Star:
Selig needed to ask if Burnett trade was in best interest of baseball — Back on June 15, 1976, as the first wave of MLB serfs-in-spikes was about to hit the open market under the original rules of free agency, a commissioner's decision cited as “in the best interests of baseball” was made by then-commissioner Bowie Kuhn.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Bucs Dugout
RELATED:
Buster Olney / ESPN:
Sources: A.J. Burnett trade official
Sources: A.J. Burnett trade official
Discussion:
Athletics Nation, Baseball Nation and Yahoo! Sports
Associated Press:
Braves' Hanson in car accident on way to camp — KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson is being checked for a possible concussion after blowing a tire on his way to the first workout of spring training. — Manager Fredi Gonzalez says he got a call from Hanson shortly after 7 a.m. Monday.
Bill Ladson / MLB.com:
No plans for Nats to add right-handed bat — VIERA Fla. — With the retirement of Mike Cameron, don't look for the Nationals to acquire a right-handed-hitting outfielder. They feel they have enough from within if they decide to have a platoon situation in either center or right field.
Discussion:
Federal Baseball
Zach Links / MLB Rumors:
K-Rod Mulls Legal Action Against Former Agents — Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez, claiming that his former agents at WMG deceived him, may file a grievance or lawsuit against them, his attorney told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. — In the final year of his deal with the Mets …
RELATED:
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
Francisco Rodriguez mulls legal action against former agents
Francisco Rodriguez mulls legal action against former agents
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, HardballTalk, MetsBlog.com and JSOnline