Top News:
Jerry Crasnick / MLB:
Source: Oswalt willing to join team midseason … After waiting until spring training and failing to land a job to his satisfaction, free agent pitcher Roy Oswalt has told major league clubs that he might pull a Roger Clemens and return midseason, according to a baseball source. — Oswalt
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk, The Good Phight, Phillies Nation, The LoHud Yankees Blog and NESN.com
Dejan Kovacevic / PittsburghLIVE.com:
Pirates president Coonelly charged with DUI — Pirates president Frank Coonelly has been charged with four counts related to drunken driving in Ross, the Tribune-Review has learned. — Ross Township police arrested Coonelly, 51, of Sewickley on Dec. 22 and charged him with drunken driving …
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, HardballTalk and Bucs Dugout
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Associated Press:
Pirates president Coonelly faces four DUI charges — BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates president Frank Coonelly faces four drunken driving-related charges after an incident on Dec. 22 in suburban Pittsburgh. — Police in Ross Township, Pa., charged Coonelly, 51 …
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
The harrowing tale of Bobby Jenks — FORT MYERS, Fla. — Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks filled in some details about his medical issues this morning and it's quite a tale. — After recovering from a pulmonary embolism, Jenks traveled to Boston and had surgery on his spine on Dec. 12 at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Baseball Nation
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John Tomase / Boston Herald:
Bobby Jenks details surgery nightmare — + Recent Articles + Recent Blog Entries + Email + Bio — FORT MYERS — Now we know why Bobby Jenks isn't going to pitch anytime soon, if at all this year: He's been living a nightmare. — This morning at JetBlue [JBLU] Park …
Andy Martino / NY Daily News:
Ruben Tejada remains in Panama despite Terry Collins' desire to have Jose Reyes' replacement in NY Mets camp — Tejada is delayed in Panama while trying to obtain visa — Terry Collins understands the process Ruben Tejada (l.) is going through to obtain his visa, but the manager wants the shortstop in camp.
Discussion:
New Jersey Online
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Mike Kerwick / NorthJersey.com:
Mets' sluggers can see the writing on the wall
Mets' sluggers can see the writing on the wall
Discussion:
MetsBlog.com and Bats
Fox Sports:
Marlins' salary plan may anger union — The minimum salary in the new collective-bargaining agreement increased from $414,000 to $480,000, giving even the lowest-paid players a handsome wage. — Baseball's economic system, however, allows clubs to otherwise determine the salaries of players …
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, NESN.com, HardballTalk and Miami Marlins
Josh Leventhal / Baseball America:
Selig Calls International Draft ‘Inevitable’ — MLB pushed through significant changes to its draft in the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, and commissioner Bud Selig says the changes aren't done. — While discussing the state of the game in an interview with Baseball America on Tuesday …
Discussion:
NESN.com
Danny Valentine / St. Petersburg Times:
Drug charges send former Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes to jail again — TAMPA — Former Rays outfielder Elijah Dukes was arrested early Thursday after he tried to eat a plastic bag of marijuana and had marijuana blunt tucked behind his ear, police said. — The 27-year-old Tampa man was pulled …
Discussion:
Baseball Nation, NESN.com and HardballTalk
Kuiperfan / Joe Posnanski:
The First Argument of Spring — This is a story about spring, baseball and the first wonderful and crazy argument of the new year. Baseball, I think, is the best argument game we have going. Sure, in other sports you can argue Tiger vs. Jack, or Sampras vs. Federer, or Montana vs. Unitas, or whatever.
Discussion:
THE BOOK
Keith Law / ESPN:
Future 50: Buxton No. 1 — The prep center fielder tops Insider's first MLB draft board for 2012 — The college baseball season kicked off last Friday and high schools are underway across the southern U.S., making this a good time for my first ranking of the top 50 prospects for the 2012 Rule 4 draft.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
Jason McIntyre / The Big Lead:
Evan Longoria is Not the Only Tampa Ray Dating a Playboy Playmate: Reid Brignac is Dating Lauren Anderson — Evan Longoria and Playboy Playmate Jaime Edmondson took their relationship public last week - to Animal Kingdom! - and then the media asked the All-Star about it.
Discussion:
Rays Index
Troy E. Renck / Denver Post:
Rockies' Dexter Fowler gains power in offseason but not at expense of speed — SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Don't look. Just listen. The ball sounds louder coming off Dexter Fowler's bat. It goes farther too. — The Rockies center fielder — and arguably the most important player to their lineup …
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
Boston Globe:
Who owns JetBluePark.com? Not the Red Sox. — If you go to JetBluePark.com, you won't get information about the new home of Red Sox spring training. Instead you'll be redirected to the New York Yankees website. That's because Eric Engelman, a Cubs fan from Fort Myers, Fla. …
Troy Renck / On the Rox:
Rockies' Joe Torres apologizes following MLB suspension — SCOTTSDALE — After becoming the latest Rockies' player to be suspended, minor-league pitcher Joe Torres offered an explanation and apology following his positive test for amphetamines. — Torres reached out to The Denver Post today, providing the following statement.
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Tim Brown / Yahoo! Sports:
Kemp calls his shot: 50 homers, 50 steals in 2012 — GLENDALE, Ariz. - Fifty-fifty, is what Matt Kemp said. — Fifty-fifty. — Like Broadway Joe calling Super Bowl III. — Like Newt Gingrich calling for a moon colony. — You know, somewhere between unlikely and if the moon were a planet, that's the planet he'd be from.
Discussion:
HardballTalk
MLB.com:
Angels agree to terms on Minor League contract with veteran pitcher Jason Isringhausen — TEMPE, AZ - The Angels today agreed to terms on a minor league contract with RHP Jason Isringhausen (iz-ring-how-zin). — Today's announcement was made by General Manager Jerry Dipoto.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and 6-4-2
Ken Gurnick / MLB.com:
Tight back delays Kershaw's first bullpen — GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dodgers Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw missed his first bullpen session of Spring Training on Wednesday as a precautionary measure due to mild back tightness. — Kershaw, who signed a two-year, $19 million contract earlier this month …
Discussion:
True Blue LA and HardballTalk