Top News:
Peter Abraham / Boston Globe:
Jason Varitek to announce retirement from baseball on Thursday — Jason Varitek, a two-time World Series champion and the captain of the Red Sox from 2005-2011, will announce his retirement on Thursday in Fort Myers sources told the Globe today. — Varitek is expected to stay with the organization in some capacity.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors, HardballTalk, Pinstripe Alley, Cursed To First, Full Count, Over the Monster, MLB Daily Dish and Baseball Nation
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ESPN:
Report: Red Sox's Varitek will retire Thursday … Jason Varitek, the longest tenured member of the Red Sox and catcher of two World Series-winning teams, will announce his retirement on Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla., according to the Boston Globe. — Varitek
Discussion:
baseballmusings.com
ESPN:
Francona: Red Sox alcohol ban could backfire … Saying a recent move by the Red Sox to ban alcohol in the clubhouse amounted to a public-relations strategy, former Boston manager Terry Francona asserted Monday that it likely won't change whether a player who wants a drink after a game will have one.
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Deadspin, the joy of sox and The Heater Feed
Dan Shaughnessy / Boston Globe:
This ban on alcohol is a lot to drink in
This ban on alcohol is a lot to drink in
Discussion:
Dan Shaughnessy Watch
Mike Petraglia / WEEI:
MADDON OK'S BEER: 'WE'RE NOT' THE RED SOX
MADDON OK'S BEER: 'WE'RE NOT' THE RED SOX
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, NESN.com and Al's Ramblings
Adam Rubin / ESPN:
Wilpons plan to be Mets' owners for ‘long time’ — PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — After surveying players warming up on the morning of the first full-squad workout, New York Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon reached into his pocket, pulled out a $5 bill and lightheartedly flashed them for the media.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports and BBTF's Baseball Primer …
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Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com:
Cards, Molina soon to finalize extension — JUPITER, Fla. — Citing an unnamed source, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published a report on Monday stating that the Cardinals and catcher Yadier Molina are expected to finalize terms of a multiyear extension by the end of the week.
Discussion:
MLB Daily Dish
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Joe Strauss / St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Molina, Cards closing on deal — JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals and Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina are close to agreement on a multi-year extension likely to make Molina the seventh catcher in the game's history to realize a deal with an average annual value exceeding $10 million.
Discussion:
MLB Rumors
Tim Dierkes / MLB Rumors:
Reds Extend Sean Marshall — The Reds announced a three-year extension with lefty reliever Sean Marshall, which runs through 2015. The contract is worth $16.5MM, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal notes there's $2MM in performance bonuses each year, $1MM for games started and $1MM for games finished.
Discussion:
Yahoo! Sports, Baseball Nation, MLB Daily Dish and HardballTalk
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Ben Nicholson-Smith / MLB Rumors:
Royals To Extend Salvador Perez — The Royals announced that they signed catcher Salvador Perez to a five-year contract that includes three club options. Perez will earn a guaranteed $7MM over the course of the five-year contract, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports (Twitter links).
Discussion:
HardballTalk, baseballmusings.com, Baseball Nation and Lone Star Ball
Rob Bradford / WEEI:
AIRING IT OUT: ON THE MOUND AND OFF, JOSH BECKETT SEES NO REASON TO CHANGE — FORT MYERS, Fla. — The spring training house is different, as are its surroundings. This rental is much bigger than the rest of Josh Beckett's previous six spring training homes since the pitcher's arrival with the Red Sox.
Discussion:
Boston Globe, ESPN, Red Sox Monster, Full Count, Over the Monster and HardballTalk
Spencer Fordin / MLB.com:
Fire causes minor damage at Fenway Park — The Red Sox are more than 1,000 miles away, but they had a small problem at home on Monday. A local Boston CBS affiliate reported that fire crews put out a small blaze at Fenway Park on Monday morning, which reportedly caused around $30,000 in damages.
Discussion:
Boston Globe and Yahoo! Sports
Mark Zuckerman / Nats Insider:
More details on Zimmerman's contract — VIERA, Fla. — There have been a lot of numbers thrown around since yesterday about Ryan Zimmerman's contract extension, and there's been a bit of confusion over the total monetary value of the deal. Is it a six-year, $100 million extension?
Discussion:
HardballTalk, Federal Baseball and MLB Daily Dish
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Harper, Trout, and Moore: Free Agents? — The offseason deals handed out to Japanese superstar Yu Darvish and Cuban tools king Yoenis Cespedes, as well as the returns generated in the trade market for young talent like Gio Gonzalez, are further proof that there is nothing more valuable …
Discussion:
MLB Rumors and Dodger Thoughts