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
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, The Big Lead, Where Have You Gone … and Bucs Dugout
RELATED:
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 …
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 …
Discussion:
Boston Globe
RELATED:
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
Andrew Marchand / ESPN:
Yanks, Russell Martin talking — TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees have proposed ripping up Russell Martin's new one-year contract and giving him a three-year deal, his agent Matt Colleran told ESPNNewYork.com. — If the two sides were to come to an agreement, it would make Martin a Yankee through 2014.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, MLB Daily Dish, Pinstripe Alley and HardballTalk
Bob Nightengale / USA Today:
MLB players pained by first HGH testing, oppose it in-season — PEORIA, Ariz. - Major League Baseball players, submitting to human growth hormone tests for the first time, said they're opposed to in-season testing after enduring adverse effects this spring from giving blood.
Discussion:
Al's Ramblings
Mike Kerwick / NorthJersey.com:
Mets' sluggers can see the writing on the wall — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - A group of fans tried to stop Daniel Murphy on his way out to Field No. 7. Earlier in the morning, he had signed every bat, glove and piece of paper handed his way. — But now he had an appointment.
Discussion:
Bats and MetsBlog.com
RELATED:
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:
HardballTalk, Baseball Nation, NESN.com and Miami Marlins
Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com:
Rasmus arrives; nearly entire club in camp — Escobar, Encarnacion expected to join teammates Friday — DUNEDIN, Fla. — Center fielder Colby Rasmus became the latest Blue Jays position player to report to camp in advance of Friday's mandatory deadline. — Rasmus arrived at Florida …
Discussion:
HardballTalk
Fox Sports:
Rays' starting pitching depth scary good — PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. — Normally, I feel sorry for the Tampa Bay Rays. — Not this time. — Oh, the Rays still face their usual low-revenue problems while trying to compete with the big-budget New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the AL East.
RELATED:
Bill Chastain / MLB.com:
Rays unveil promotions for home games
Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com:
Steinbrenner: Mo ‘obviously a lifelong Yankee’ — Team would welcome closer back should he choose to continue — TAMPA, Fla. — If closer Mariano Rivera wants to remain a Yankee beyond the upcoming season when his current contract expires, he certainly will be welcome back …
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, HardballTalk and NESN.com
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
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
Howard Megdal / Capital New York:
The Mets owners keep peddling a story about new investors, but who's buying? — Here we go again. — Newsday reported on Wednesday evening that Fred Wilpon and his partners, who own the New York Mets, had reached an agreement to sell seven minority shares in the club.
Discussion:
HardballTalk and Newsday
Derrick Goold / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Molina, Cardinals restart contract talks — JUPITER, Fla. • The agent for Gold Glove-winning catcher Yadier Molina met with the Cardinals and has re-engaged the club in talks the past two days about a contract extension, sources confirmed to The Post-Dispatch.
Discussion:
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